Products and processes for vending a plurality of products

ABSTRACT

Package deals comprising component products from inventory groups are offered and sold to customers of vending machines. In some embodiments, an association of the component products with the inventory groups is indicated by at least one of a placement of the component products and/or physical indicia associated with the component products.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application (i) claims benefit and priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/715,088entitled “PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FOR VENDING A PLURALITY OF PRODUCTS”and filed on Sep. 8, 2005, and (ii) is a continuation-in-partapplication which claims benefit and priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 toU.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/902,397 entitled “PRODUCTS ANDPROCESSES FOR VENDING A PLURALITY OF PRODUCTS” and filed on Jul. 29,2004, which itself claims benefit and priority to:

(a) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/218,085, filed Dec. 22, 1998,entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VENDING PRODUCTS”, which is acontinuation-in-part that claims benefit and priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/012,163 entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FORAUTOMATICALLY VENDING A COMBINATION OF PRODUCTS” and filed on Jan. 22,1998, and which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,193 on May 28, 2002, andwhich itself is a continuation-in-part application that claims benefitand priority to (i) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/947,798 entitled“METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMICALLY MANAGING VENDING MACHINE INVENTORYPRICES” and filed on Oct. 9, 1997, and (ii) U.S. patent application Ser.No. 08/920,116 entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING SUPPLEMENTARYPRODUCT SALES AT A POINT-OF-SALE TERMINAL” and filed on Aug. 26, 1997,and which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,099 on Sep. 12, 2000, which is acontinuation-in-part application that claims benefit and priority toU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/822,709 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHODFOR PERFORMING LOTTERY TICKET TRANSACTIONS UTILIZING POINT-OF-SALETERMINALS” and filed on Mar. 21, 1997, and which issued as U.S. Pat. No.6,267,670 on Jul. 31, 2001;

(b) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/713,001, filed Nov. 17, 2000,entitled “SYSTEM FOR VENDING PHYSICAL AND INFORMATION ITEMS”, nowabandoned, which itself claims benefit and priority to (i) U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/243,153 entitled “SYSTEM FORVENDING PHYSICAL AND INFORMATION ITEMS” and filed on Oct. 25, 2000, and(ii) U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/226,830 entitled“METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING A VENDING MACHINE” and filed on Aug.22,2000;

(c) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/095,372, filed Mar. 11, 2002,entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VENDING A COMBINATION OF PRODUCTS”,which itself is a continuation-in-part application that claims benefitand priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/012,163 entitled“METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY VENDING A COMBINATION OFPRODUCTS” and filed on Jan. 22, 1998, and which issued as U.S. Pat. No.6,397,193 on May 28, 2002, and which itself is a continuation-in-partapplication that claims benefit and priority to (i) U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 08/947,798 entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FORDYNAMICALLY MANAGING VENDING MACHINE INVENTORY PRICES” and filed on Oct.9, 1997, and (ii) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/920,116 entitled“METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING SUPPLEMENTARY PRODUCT SALES AT APOINT-OF-SALE TERMINAL” and filed on August 26, 1997, and which issuedas U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,099 on Sep. 12, 2000, which is acontinuation-in-part application that claims benefit and priority toU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/822,709 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHODFOR PERFORMING LOTTERY TICKET TRANSACTIONS UTILIZING POINT-OF-SALETERMINALS” and filed on Mar. 21, 1997, and which issued as U.S. Pat. No.6,267,670 on Jul. 31, 2001;

(d) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/855,247, filed May 27, 2004,entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING VENDING MACHINE OFFERS”,which itself claims benefit and priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/473,815 entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FORMANAGING VENDING MACHINE OFFERS” and filed on May 28, 2003;

(e) U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/491,215, filed Jul.30, 2003, entitled “APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VENDING ACOMBINATION OF PRODUCTS”;

(f) U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/536,277, filed Jan.13, 2004, entitled “APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VENDING ACOMBINATION OF PRODUCTS”; and

(g) U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/560,960, filed Apr.9, 2004, entitled “PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FOR VENDING A PLURALITY OFPRODUCTS VIA DEFINED GROUPS”.

BACKGROUND

Applicants have previously recognized that significant benefits ensuefrom vending machines configured to identify a combination of productsand offer the combination of products for a promotional price. Forexample, a parent application, U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/095,372, describes, among other features, the creation of promotionalproduct combinations based on supply and/or demand data.

The advantages of Applicants' previous inventions are significant.Nevertheless, given the complexity of the relevant market forces, itwould be advantageous for additional apparatus, systems and methods thatpermit vending machines and/or operators thereof to offer a combinationof products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of control software comprising abstractcomponents.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a proactive inventory-groupingembodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a reactive inventory-groupingembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

I. Introduction

Some embodiments described herein are associated with providing, by atleast one vending machine, a package offer comprising an offer to buy atleast a first component product from a first inventory group and asecond component product from a second inventory group for a singleprice, wherein the first and second component products are indicated asbeing associated with the first and second inventory groups via (i)first and second placements of the first and second component products,respectively, and/or (ii) first and second physical indicia associatedwith the first and second component products, respectively. Embodimentsmay also or alternatively be directed to receiving, at the at least onevending machine, an indication of a selection by a customer of the firstcomponent product from the first inventory group, and processing, basedat least in part on the receiving of the indication of the customer'sselection of the first component product from the first inventory group,a sale, for a single price, of (i) a unit of the first component productfrom the first inventory group and (ii) a unit of the second componentproduct from the second inventory group.

Some embodiments are associated with providing, by at least one vendingmachine, a package offer comprising an offer to buy a number of productsassociated with a non-price numerical limit, for a single price.Embodiments may also or alternatively comprise (i) receiving, at the atleast one vending machine, an indication of a selection by a customer ofa first component product associated with a first non-price numericalvalue, (ii) determining, by the at least one vending machine, bysubtracting the first non-price numerical value from the non-pricenumerical limit, a remaining non-price numerical value, and/or (iii)determining, by the at least one vending machine, at least one secondcomponent product that is associated with a second non-price numericalvalue that is less than or equal to the remaining non-price numericalvalue. Some embodiments may also or alternatively recite providing, tothe customer and by the at least one vending machine, an opportunity topurchase the at least one second component product along with the firstcomponent product, for the single price.

II. Terms and Definitions

Actual Product Velocity, Actual Sales Rate—The actual rate at which agiven product is sold by a vending machine during a period of time. Theactual rate may be expressed in various forms, including units sold pertime, sales revenue per time, and gross profit per time. In one or moreembodiments, the period of time used as the basis for calculating anactual sales rate may be a “fill period” or “sales period”, as definedherein.

Column—A physical area within a vending machine capable of storing,holding, housing or otherwise including one or more products until it isappropriate to dispense such one or more products (e.g., upon receipt ofpayment from a customer; upon selection of a component product pursuantto a package offer). In one or more embodiments, a column may include anentire shelf of a vending machine. In one or more embodiments, a columnmay include a portion of a shelf of a vending machine (e.g., a “row”),such as that which is (a) typically identified to a consumer and/orvending machine control system (e.g., a processor; anapplication-specific integrated circuit) by a two character alphanumericidentifier (e.g., “A1”) and (b) stocked with one or more particularitems (e.g., cans of Diet Coke®), one or more similar items (e.g., 12oz. cans), or one or more items sharing the same retail price (e.g.,items priced at $0.75).

Component Product—a product, of which a unit may be sold (e.g., pursuantto an offer, such as a package offer) along with at least one other unitof the same or another product.

Fill Period, Sales Period—The period of time between restock dates.

Full Price, Retail Price—In some embodiments, the price that is normallycharged for the purchase of one unit of a given product when purchasedalone, (i.e. not as a component product).

Ideal Product Velocity, Target Product Velocity, Ideal Sales Rate,Target Sales Rate, Target Velocity—The desired rate at which a givenproduct should be sold by a vending machine during a period of time,such as a sales period. The desired rate can help achieve various goals,including a desired profit, sales, inventory level and/or amount oftransactions. Moreover, such goals can be represented as, e.g., a valueto be achieved by a certain time, or as a value averaged over a periodof time. Thus, in some embodiments, an ideal velocity may be set orcalculated for each inventoried product indicating the rate at whichproducts must be sold in order to deplete the vending machine'sinventory to a certain level by the end of a given sales period (i.e. bythe restock time/date or an expiration time/date). For example, an idealproduct velocity may be calculated by a vending machine control system(e.g., a processor; an application-specific integrated circuit) after anoperator inputs a restock date and a desired remaining inventory for therestock date (e.g., an operator may wish to have only one unit of eachproduct remaining at the restock date so that the machine sells as manyunits as possible without completely selling out and therebydisappointing customers). Thus, if an operator (a) stocks 50 units ofSoda A, (b) inputs a restock date fourteen days away, and (c) indicatesthat only one unit of Soda A should remain at the restock date, thecontrol system may divide 49 by 14 to conclude that, on average, 3.5units of Soda A must be sold per day within the sales period in order torealize the ideal product velocity. As discussed herein, in one or moreembodiments, a vending machine control system (e.g., a processor; anapplication-specific integrated circuit) may periodically, substantiallycontinuously, or otherwise evaluate the difference between a product orproducts' actual product velocity and ideal product velocity for thepurpose of making package offer decisions (e.g., in proactive inventorygrouping embodiments, determining which products to assign to a certaininventory group). The actual rate at which a given product should besold may be expressed in various forms, including units of the productsold per time, sales revenue from sales of units of the product pertime, and profit from sales of units of the product per time.

Income Contribution Factor, Profit Contribution Factor—A measure of therevenue or profit realized due to the sale of a particular product. Insome embodiments, a product's income contribution factor may be definedby the total amount of revenue or the total amount of profit generatedby the product during a certain time period (e.g., during a fill period,between certain dates, every twenty four hours). In other embodiments, aproduct's income contribution factor may be represented as a percentage,such as that which may be calculated by dividing the amount of profitgenerated by the product in a certain period of time by the total amountof profit generated by some or all products sold through the vendingmachine in the time period. For example, if a vending machine realized$100 in total profit during a fill period, and a certain product wasresponsible for generating $12 of the profit, that product's incomecontribution factor could be represented as the percentage ‘12%’. Insome embodiments, an income contribution factor may be used indetermining how to allocate a product to one or more inventory groups.

Inventory Group, Package Group—A set of products. An inventory group mayinclude a single product, or more than one product. In many embodiments,a customer may select a component product from an inventory group. Incertain proactive inventory grouping embodiments, pursuant to a packageoffer, customers may select at least two component products, a componentproduct selected from each of at least two inventory groups, for asingle price. In certain reactive inventory grouping embodiments,pursuant to a package offer, customers may select a second componentproduct from an inventory group that is revealed after a first componentproduct is selected from a first inventory group. In one or moreembodiments, inventory groups may be communicated to customers throughcolored LEDs located proximately to inventoried products (e.g., productsin a “red” group may be communicated via proximately located red LEDs;products in a “green” group may be communicated via proximately locatedgreen LEDs). Alternatively or additionally, in one or more embodiments,inventory groups may be communicated to customers through one or moreLCD screens. Further still, in one or more embodiments, inventory groupsmay be communicated to customers by virtue of the underlying componentproducts' physical placement within one or more vending machines. Forexample, a first inventory group may comprise any products stocked inone or more particular columns of a vending machine, whereas a secondinventory group may comprise any products stocked in one or more othercolumns of the vending machine. Alternatively or additionally, a firstinventory group may comprise some or all of the products stocked withina first vending machine, and a second inventory group may comprise someor all of the products stocked within a second (e.g., nearby) vendingmachine. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, inventory groups maybe communicated to customers through the placement of physical indicia(e.g., stickers, signs, cards, flags, price tags, RFID tags) on or nearthe underlying component products. In some proactive and reactiveinventory grouping embodiments, inventory groups may be determined by avending machine control system (e.g., a processor; anapplication-specific integrated circuit) during a sales period. In otherembodiments, inventory groups are not determined during a sales period(as in some proactive or reactive inventory grouping embodiments), butare rather determined prior to a sales period by an operator or otherperson, and are stored (e.g., in a memory) accessible to a vendingmachine control system.

Operator—The owner (or employee or agent thereof) of a vending machine.

Package Offer, Package Deal, Combination Deal, Combination Offer,Combination Product Offer, “Load-up” Deal, Value Combo Deal, ComboDeal—An offer enabling a customer to purchase at least two products. Inmany embodiments the at least two products are sold for a single price.In many embodiments, the two products are dispensed to the customeressentially simultaneously (e.g., within seconds of each other). Inother embodiments, the two products are dispensed to the customer atdifferent times (e.g., within days of each other). Typically, packageoffers are configured so the price of the at least two products is lessthan the sum of the prices of the two products, and thus the customersaves money compared to the sum of the individual component products'retail prices. However, in one or more embodiments, individual retailprices may not be communicated to consumers.

Package Instance, Potential Package—A combination of specific componentproducts according to a package offer. Thus, a package offer defines oneor more (but typically many) package instances. In some embodiments,package instances are constructed and compared to other packageinstances for the purpose of determining which products may be madeavailable for selection by a customer pursuant to a package offer. Insome proactive inventory grouping embodiments, package instances areconstructed and compared in order to determine how to apportioninventory between two inventory groups. In some reactive inventorygrouping embodiments, package instances are constructed and compared inorder to determine the composition of an inventory group from which acustomer may select a second component product after a first componentproduct has been selected. Further, in some embodiments, an operator mayrecord one or more specific package instances in a memory accessible toor part of a vending machine, so that a vending machine may processpackage offers pursuant to the stored specific package instances.

Package Price—The price that is charged (typically in a singletransaction) for the units of products purchased pursuant to a packageoffer. In some embodiments, package prices reflect a net-savings to thecustomer when compared to the sum of the respective retail prices of theindividual component products.

Product Cost, Item Cost, Cost—The cost to the operator of a unit ofselling a given product. The product cost may reflect the fixed costand/or the variable cost in selling a unit of the product. In someembodiments, stored rules may instruct a vending machine control systemto not sell a product or products unless the cost of the product(s) isequal to or less than a certain price (e.g., a retail price, a packageprice). For example, in one or more embodiments, an operator mayinstruct a vending machine to only sell packages of products if the sumof the cost of two or more items selected by a customer is less than orequal to a given amount, such as an amount tendered by the customer. Inother embodiments, stored rules may instruct a vending machine controlsystem to sell a product or products even though the cost of the productor products is greater than a retail price or package price, as may bethe case where the product or products' actual sales rates are above orbelow a certain threshold (e.g., where actual sales rates fall short oftarget sales rates).

Product, Item—A good or service provided by (e.g., sold by, dispensedby, handled by) a vending machine. Examples of goods provided by vendingmachines include beverages (e.g., cans of soda) and snacks (e.g., candybars). Services provided by vending machines include providing access toelectronic data or services (e.g., a vending machine may enable WiFiInternet access; a vending machine may permit a customer to downloadring tones or other files to a cellular telephone; a vending machine maypermit a customer to download songs to an MP3 player or other device).

Restock Date, Restock Time—The time and/or date that a vending machineis scheduled to be restocked by an operator (or agent thereof) of avending machine.

Various embodiments, including products and processes, are disclosed forfacilitating the sales of combinations of units of products. Thedisclosed embodiments are particularly suitable for use in one or morevending machines or like apparatus. In some embodiments, one or morevending machines are configured to facilitate the sale of two or moreproducts for a single price pursuant to a package offer. According to anembodiment, a vending machine or other apparatus is configured toincrease sales and/or profitability through novel processing of salesdata, cost data and/or other data available to the vending machine.

In particular, various embodiments allow groups of products to bedefined according to various criteria. Customers are prompted topurchase products from the groups. Thus, appropriate definition of thegroups can lead to benefits such as increased sales and/or profits pertime.

According to a “proactive inventory grouping” embodiment of the presentinvention, on a periodic, substantially continuous or event-triggeredbasis, sales and/or cost data is monitored and evaluated against storedrules for the purpose of determining how to apportion inventory among atleast two inventory groups from which, pursuant to a package offer, acustomer may select and purchase at least two products for a singleprice. Such an evaluation and determination may be made by a vendingmachine and/or a human (e.g., an operator) associated therewith. Indetermining how to apportion inventory to the different inventorygroups, a vending machine or operator may consider a value rating of oneor more products. For example, products having a relatively high valuerating may be allocated to a first inventory group, while productshaving a relatively low value rating may be allocated to a secondinventory group. Thereafter, package offers encouraging the purchase ofat least two products (e.g., at least one product from each of at leasttwo inventory groups) may be output to prospective customers, forexample, through one or more output devices and/or through staticindicia (e.g., painted or printed signs or stickers affixed to a vendingmachine and/or to component products). For example, a scrolling lightemitting diode (LED) display may read “Pick any item from the red groupand any item from the green group for $1.00!”, and shelf-mounted LEDdisplays located adjacent to the various qualifying products maycontemporaneously flash in red and/or green to indicate the products'inventory grouping statuses (i.e. green or red). Alternatively oradditionally, an operator may mount a sign to a vending machine toindicate a package offer. For example, a sign may read, “Pick any itemfrom the top shelf and any item from the bottom three shelves for $1”.The vending machine may be further configured to process package offertransactions in accordance with such advertised package offers by (i)receiving, through an input device, an indication of customer acceptanceand (ii) dispensing a combination of products consistent with theadvertised package offer.

According to a “reactive inventory grouping” embodiment, a customer isoffered the ability to purchase a combination of products for a singleprice by the customer selecting a first product from a first group ofinventoried products, and then the customer picking a second productfrom a second inventory group that is revealed to the customer after thefirst product is selected. In determining which inventoried productswill be included in the second inventory group, a vending machine mayconsider a value rating of one or more products.

Further, according to some embodiments, a value rating of one or moreproducts may be determined by considering one or more of (i) the timeremaining until a restock date, (ii) the time remaining until anexpiration date of a product or products, (iii) an actual sales rate ofa product or products, (iv) a target or ideal sales rate of a product orproducts, (v) the fixed cost of a product or products, (vi) the variablecost of a product or products; (vii) the retail price of an individualunit of a product or products, (viii) the profit margin of a product orproducts at a given sale price such as a retail price, (ix) the profitmargin of a package instance comprising a given combination of products,(x) the historical acceptance rate of a package instance comprising agiven combination of products, (xi) one or more products' income orprofit contribution factor(s) (e.g., measures of one or more products′historic success in the marketplace), (xii) the availability to anoperator via wholesale markets of one or more products; (xiii) thenumber of units of a product or products in the inventory of one or morevending machines; (xiv) the number of units of a product or products inthe inventory of an operator (e.g., in a warehouse; on a deliverytruck); (xv) the amount of or degree to which coupons, discounts (e.g.,volume discounts), rebates, trade credits or other incentives areavailable to vending machine operators and/or customers from productsuppliers; and/or (xvi) any other consideration.

III. Apparatus and Architecture

A. Introduction

Generally, a vending machine according to various embodiments caninclude a device configured to manage sales transactions with customersby, among other things, receiving payment from customers, controllingthe pricing and/or distribution of goods and/or controlling entitlementsto services.

B. Machine Casing/Cabinetry

In some embodiments, suitable machine cabinetry may be constructed fromany suitable material, including but not limited to any combination of(1) commercial grade (e.g., sixteen-gauge) steel (e.g., for exteriorpanels and internal shelving), (2) transparent materials such as glassor Plexiglas (e.g., for product display windows), (3) rubber (e.g., forwaterproofing insulation), (4) plastic, and/or (5) aluminum.

Many commercially available machine casings can be adapted to work inaccordance with various embodiments. For example, in snack machineembodiments, a suitable machine casing may comprise the 129 SnackShopmanufactured by Automatic Products International, Ltd. of Saint Paul,Minn., which stands at 72″/1829 mm wide, has a width of 38 7/8″/988 mm,and a depth of 35″/889 mm. Other suitable snack machine casings includethe A La Carte® machine or Studio™ series machines from AutomaticProducts, and the GPL SnackVendor model # 159 from Crane MerchandisingSystems/Crane Co. of Stamford, Conn. Yet other adaptable snack machinecasings are available from AMS Merchandising Systems, Inc. and TheWittern Group, Inc. In beverage machine embodiments, machine casingscommercially available from Dixie Narco, Inc. of Williston, SouthCarolina may be employed. Other adaptable beverage machine casings areavailable from other manufacturers, including AMS Merchandising Systems,Inc., Royal Vendors, Inc., Sanden Vendo America, Inc., and The WitternGroup, Inc. Beverage machine casings may comprise a “cooler” or “glassfront” style front panel, featuring a transparent front panel (e.g.,glass) enabling customers to see inventory for sale. Alternatively,beverage machine casings may comprise a “bubble front” style frontpanel, featuring a decorative front panel, typically used to advertise alogo of a product manufacturer commercially interested in the vendingmachine's operation. In one or more embodiments, two vending machinecasings are operatively connected. For example, a snack machine casingand a beverage machine casing may be operatively connected to facilitatepackage offers comprising both snacks and beverages. In suchembodiments, a first “master” machine may host logic/control apparatusand transaction processing equipment (e.g., a keypad, a coin acceptor, abill validator), whereas a second, operatively linked “satellite” or“side car” machine may merely comprise product storage and dispensingapparatus. An exemplary master and satellite vending machineconfiguration is described with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,142,entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR VENDING MULTIPLE PRODUCTS, issued May9, 2000 to Wittern, Jr. et al., the entirely of which is incorporated byreference herein for all purposes.

Other embodiments are contemplated as well, including combination snackand beverage vending machine embodiments, such as those available fromCrain Co.

Further details concerning the suitability of machine casing/cabinetryare well known in the art, and need not be described in further detailherein.

C. Inventory Storage and Dispensing Mechanisms

Inventory storage and distribution functions of a vending machineconfigured in accordance with a snack machine embodiment of the presentinvention may include one or more conventional components, including:(i) a drive motor, (ii) metal shelves, (iii) a product delivery system(e.g., a chute, product tray, product tray door, etc.), (iv) dual spiral(i.e. double helix) product dispensing rods, (v) convertible (i.e.extendable) shelves, and/or (vi) a refrigeration unit. In embodimentsusing the casing of the model 129 SnackShop manufactured by AutomaticProducts, 3 removable shelves may be employed, together providing for 30product rows and an inventory capacity of between 185 to 522 commonlyvended snack products.

Inventory storage and distribution functions of a vending machineconfigured in accordance with a beverage machine embodiment of thepresent invention may include one or more conventional components,including: (i) metal and/or plastic shelving, (ii) product dispensingactuators/motors, (iii) product delivery chutes, and/or (iv) arefrigeration unit.

In many types of beverage and snack vending machines, operators willtypically stock several units of the same product linearly arranged in acolumn, allowing individual units to be dispensed upon command. The sameproduct may be stocked in more than one column. Similarly, more than oneproduct may be stocked in a single column. Moreover, a vending machinemay be configured to control access to services. Examples of servicessold by vending machines include car washes, photography services andaccess to digital content (e.g., permitting the downloading of MP3 filesto a handheld device).

Further details concerning vending machine inventory storage anddispensing mechanisms are well known in the art, and need not bedescribed in further detail herein.

D. Payment Processing Mechanisms

The vending machine may also include one or more mechanisms forreceiving payment and dispensing change, including but not limited to acoin acceptor, a bill validator, a card reader (e.g., a magnetic stripereader; a smart card reader) and a change dispenser.

In a manner known in the art, a magnetic stripe card reader may readdata on the magnetic stripe of a credit or debit card. Such a cardreader may cooperate with conventional point-of-sale credit cardprocessing equipment to validate card-based purchases through aconventional transaction authorization network (e.g., the credit card ordebit card network). Alternatively or additionally, a card reader maycooperate with a vending machine processor and/or memory so as tovalidate and appropriately debit a prepaid account, such as a storedvalue account or a “subscription” account. Subscription accounts are asdescribed at length in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,972, entitledMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING AND MANAGING VENDING MACHINESUBSCRIPTIONS, issued Oct. 9, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,888, entitledMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING AND MANAGING VENDING MACHINESUBSCRIPTIONS, issued Jul. 11, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,346, entitledMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING AND MANAGING VENDING MACHINESUBSCRIPTIONS, issued Nov. 23, 1999; U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 60/527,988, filed Dec. 9, 2003 in the name of Breitenbach etal.; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/668,405, filedApr. 5, 2005 in the name of Walker et al.; the entirety of each of whichis incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. Suitablecard-based transaction processing systems and methods for use in someembodiments are available from USA Technologies, Inc., of Wayne, Pa.

Alternatively or additionally, a payment account may be identifiedthrough a wireless device, such as an RFID tag. RFID tags systemssuitable for identifying a customer to a vending machine are availablefrom PAYKEY USA, Inc. of Greenville, S.C. and USA Technologies, Inc.

In one or more embodiments, a coin acceptor, bill validator and changedispenser may communicate with a currency storage apparatus (a “hopper”)and may comprise conventional devices such as models AE-2400, MC5000,TRC200 or the Cashflow Series 7000 Coin Manager by MEI/Mars,Incorporated. of West Chester, Pa., or CoinCo model 9300-L. The coinacceptor and bill validator may receive and validate currency that is tobe stored by the currency storage apparatus. The change dispenseractivates the return of coinage from the currency storage apparatus tothe customer where appropriate (e.g., where a customer deposits morecurrency than is required for a given transaction). Such apparatus mayfeature Multidrop Bus (MDB) and/or Micromech peripheral capabilities, asis known in the art.

In one or more embodiments, a payment processing mechanism (such as abill validator, coin acceptor or combination thereof) may receive and/orvalidate tokens, paper, cards (including magnetic strip cards, smartcards, or otherwise), vouchers, slips, coupons, or the like, so thatcustomers may (1) receive discounted or free products (2) redeem prepaidproducts and/or (3) may access and utilize prepaid credits. For suchembodiments, adaptable payment processing mechanisms include theBillPro® series bill validator from Coin Acceptors, Inc. and the MEISeries 2000 combo acceptor from MEI/Mars, Incorporated.

In another embodiment, a vending machine according to variousembodiments may be configured to receive payment authorization andproduct selection commands through a wireless device communicationnetwork, directly or indirectly, from a customer's wireless device(e.g., a cellular telephone). In such an embodiment, a paymentprocessing mechanism may comprise a cellular transceiver operativelyconnected to a processor, as described herein. Systems and methodsallowing for the selection of and payment for vending machine articlesthrough cellular telephones are provided by USA Technologies, Inc.Further, in such an embodiment, a cellular telephone may serve as aninpuVoutput device, as described herein.

Further details concerning vending machine payment processing mechanismsare well known in the art, and need not be described in further detailherein.

E. Input/Output Devices

According to various embodiments, a vending machine may include an inputdevice for receiving input from (i) a customer (e.g., indicating anaccount; the selection of a product; the acceptance of an offer), and/or(ii) an operator (or agent thereof), for example, during stocking ormaintenance of the vending machine. Also, a vending machine may includeone or more output devices for outputting product or offer informationto a customer or operator.

Many combinations of input and output devices may be employed accordingto various embodiments. In some embodiments, a vending machine mayinclude more than one input device. For example, vending machine mayinclude an exterior input device for receiving customer input and aninterior input device for receiving operator input. In some embodiments,however, one or more input devices provide the dual functionality ofreceiving input data from both operators and customers. Likewise, avending machine may comprise more than one output device (e.g., an LCDscreen and several LEDs, as described herein). However, in someembodiments, such as those which feature touch screens (describedherein), input and output functionality may be provided by a singledevice.

Many types of input devices are contemplated. Thus, an input device maycomprise one or more of (1) a set of alpha-numeric keys for providinginput to the vending machine, such as the Programmable Master Menu®Keypad, (2) a selector dial, (3) a set of buttons associated with arespective set of product dispensers, (4) a motion sensor or other(e.g., weight) sensor, (5) a barcode reader, (6) a voice recognitionmodule, (7) a Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) receiver/decoder, (8) awireless device (e.g., a cellular telephone or wireless Personal DigitalAssistant (PDA)), (9) a camera, such as digital video and/or digitalstill photographic camera, (10) a fingerprint reader, (11) a topicalfacial pattern scanner/reader, (12) an iris or retinal scanner, (13) amicrophone, (14) an infrared receiver, and/or (15) any other devicecapable of receiving a command from a user and transmitting or otherwisefacilitating the transmission of the command to a processor.

In one embodiment, a suitable fingerprint reader for use with thepresent invention includes the Fujitsu MBF200 Scanner, which ismanufactured by Tacoma Technology, Inc of Taipai, Taiwan and FujitsuMicroelectronics America, Inc. of Tokyo, Japan. The Fujitsu MBF200offers a resolution of 500 dpi, an image capture area of 12.8×15 mm(0.5″×0.6″), and a unit size of 60×40×15 mm (2.4″×1.6″×0.6″). TheFujitsu MBF200 may communicate with a vending machine processor througha USB interface. The Fujitsu MBF200 may be desirable in an embodimentwhere the vending machine processor is instructed through a Linux-basedoperating system. In embodiments featuring the Fujitsu MBF200,fingerprint matching software may be employed. Exemplary fingerprintmatching software includes VeriFinger 4.2 from Neurotechnologija, Ltd.of Vilnius, Lithuania.

In another embodiment, a suitable fingerprint reader for use with thepresent invention includes the AF-S2 FingerLoc from AuthenTec, Inc. ofMelbourne, Fla. The AF-S2 FingerLoc offers a resolution of 250 dpi, animage capture area of 13×13 mm (0.51″×0.51″), and a unit size of24×24×3.5 mm (0.94″×0.94″×0.14″). The AF-S2 FingerLoc may communicatewith a vending machine processor through a USB interface. The FujitsuMBF200 may be desirable in an embodiment where the vending machineprocessor is instructed through a Microsoft® Windows®-based operatingsystem. In embodiments featuring the AF-S2 FingerLoc, fingerprintmatching software may be employed. Exemplary fingerprint matchingsoftware includes VeriFinger 4.2 from Neurotechnologija, Ltd. ofVilnius, Lithuania.

Likewise, many types of output devices are contemplated. For example, anoutput device may comprise a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). Alternativelyor additionally, an output device may also comprise one or more LightEmitting Diode (LED) displays (e.g., several alphanumeric multi-color orsingle color LED displays on the shelves of a vending machine associatedproximately with each row of product inventory).

In one embodiment, an LED display screen is mounted atop the vendingmachine (via bolts or other mounting hardware) and is used tocommunicate offers (e.g., package offers) and other messages (e.g.,product advertisements; inventory group information) to prospectivecustomers. A suitable LED display screen for such an embodiment may behoused in an aluminum case having a length of 27.5″, a height of 4.25″,and a depth of 1.75″. Such a display screen may have a display areacapable of showing 13 alphanumeric and/or graphical characters. Further,such an LED display screen may comprise a serial computer interface,such as an RJ45/RS232 connector, for communicating with a processor, asdescribed herein. Further still, such an LED display may be capable ofoutputting text and graphics in several colors (e.g., red, yellow,green) regarding current and upcoming promotions.

Further, in some embodiments, an output device comprises a printer. Inone embodiment, a printer is configured to print on card stock paper(e.g., 0.06 mm to 0.15 mm thickness), such as the EPSON EU-T400 SeriesKiosk Printer. Further, a printer may be capable of thermal lineprinting of various alphanumeric and graphical symbols in various fontsizes (e.g., ranging from 9 to 24 point) on various types of paper.Additionally, such a printer may communicate with a processor (describedherein) via an RS232/IEEE 12834 and/or bidirectional parallelconnection. Such a printer may further comprise a 4KB data buffer.

Additionally, in some embodiments, an output device comprises an audiomodule, such as an audio speaker, that outputs information to customersaudibly. Speakers may comprise conventional speakers or modernhypersonic speakers. An output device may include unidirectional orhypersonic speakers that can selectively focus sound to particularlocations or customers, while not disturbing others who are not in thelocation of the focused sound. As stated, in some embodiments, atouch-sensitive screen or “touch screen” may be employed to perform bothinput and output functions. Suitable, commercially available touchscreens for use according to various embodiments are manufactured by EloTouchSystems, Inc., of Fremont, Calif., such as Elo's AccuTouch seriestouch screens. Such touch screens may comprise: (i) a first (e.g.,outer-most) hard-surface screen layer coated with an anti-glare finish,(ii) a second screen layer coated with a transparent-conductive coating,(iii) a third screen layer comprising a glass substrate with auniform-conductive coating. Further, such touch screens may beconfigured to detect input within a determined positional accuracy, suchas a standard deviation of error less than ±0.080-inch (2 mm). Thesensitivity resolution of such touch screens may be more than 100,000touchpoints/in² (15,500 touchpoints/cm²) for a 13-inch touch screen. Forsuch touch screens, the touch activation force required to trigger aninput signal to the processor (described herein) via the touch screen istypically 2 to 4 ounces (57 to 113 g). Additionally, touch screens foruse according to various embodiments may be resistant to environmentalstressors such as water, humidity, chemicals, electrostatic energy, andthe like. These and other operational details of touch screens (e.g.,drive current, signal current, capacitance, open circuit resistance,closed circuit resistance, etc.) are well known in the art and need notbe described further herein.

F. Logic/Control/Processing Apparatus

In one or more embodiments, the components of the vending machine,including the input device, output device, coin acceptor, billvalidator, card (e.g., magnetic stripe) reader, change dispenser,currency storage apparatus, and product dispensing mechanism(s)(collectively, the “peripherals”) communicate with, and are controlledby, a vending machine control system. In one or more embodiments, avending machine control system comprises a processor, such as one basedon the Intel® Pentium® or Centrino™ series processor.

The processor may be in communication with a memory and a communicationsport (e.g., for communicating with one or more other computers orvending machines). The memory may comprise non-volatile media and/orvolatile media, such as an appropriate combination of magnetic, opticaland/or semiconductor memory, and may include, for example, Random AccessMemory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), a compact disc and/or a hard disk.The memory may comprise or include any type of computer-readable medium.The processor and the memory may each be, for example: (i) locatedentirely within a single computer or other device; or (ii) connected toeach other by a remote communication medium, such as a serial portcable, telephone line or radio frequency transceiver.

A memory may store a program for controlling a processor. The processorperforms instructions of the program, and thereby operates according tovarious embodiments, and particularly in accordance with the processesdescribed in detail herein. The program may be stored in a compressed,un-compiled and/or encrypted format. The program furthermore includesprogram elements that may be necessary or desirable, such as anoperating system, a database management system and “device drivers” forallowing the processor to interface with the peripherals. Appropriateprogram elements are known to those skilled in the art, and need not bedescribed in detail herein.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the instructions ofthe program may be read into a main memory from anothercomputer-readable medium, such as from a ROM or hard disk. The executionof sequences of the instructions in a program causes the processor toperform the process steps described herein. In alternate embodiments,hard-wired circuitry (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits)may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructionsfor implementation of the processes of the present invention. Thus,embodiments of the present invention are not limited to any specificcombination of hardware and software. Rather, any practicableconfiguration of hardware, circuitry, firmware and/or software may beemployed, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

The memory also may store one or more databases. Some or all of the datastored in each database is described herein. The described datarepresents exemplary information only; those skilled in the art willunderstand that the number, content, and form of the data can bedifferent from that which is described herein without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. Further, despite any description ofthe databases as tabular, relational databases, an object-based modelcould be used to store and manipulate the data types of variousembodiments and likewise, object methods or behaviors can be used toimplement the processes of various embodiments. Moreover, although thememory may be described as being part of a vending machine, in someembodiments, a memory and/or any databases may be apart from a vendingmachine. For example, in one or more embodiments, a memory and/or anydatabases may be maintained at a central server, computer or controller.Additionally or alternatively, in one or more embodiments, a memoryand/or any databases may be maintained at a separate vending machine. Insuch embodiments, remotely maintained memory and/or databases may beaccessible to a vending machine through any practicable networkcommunications means, medium or protocol, as would be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art.

In one or more embodiments, data stored in a memory of a vending machinemay be stored in a manner that permits transfer of all or some of suchstored data in compliance with one or more vending industry standardsfor data transfer, including but not limited to the Digital ExchangeUniform Code Standard (DEX) and/or the Vending Industry Data TransferStandard (VIDTS). Such data transfer standards may permit an operator todownload vending machine inventory and sales data to a device, such as aPDA or a computer, so that the operator may use such data in determiningone or more inventory groups, from which a customer may select itemspursuant to an ongoing or future package offer, as described herein.

Thus, in one or more embodiments, the vending machine control system(e.g., a processor; an application-specific integrated circuit), inconjunction with the peripherals (e.g., through RS232 connections and/orother suitable connections), manages interactions with the user inaccordance with stored business logic, described herein.

G. Retrofitting Conventional Vending Machines with a Separate Device

In one embodiment, one or more of the processor, the input device(s),RAM, ROM, output device(s) and a data storage device may be included,wholly or partially, in a separate device, such as the e-Port™ by USATechnologies Inc., that is in communication with a vending machine. Theseparate device may also be in communication with a network such as theInternet.

The e-Port™ is a credit and smart card-accepting unit that controlsaccess to office and MDB vending equipment, and serves as a point ofpurchase credit card or RFID transaction device. The e-Port™ includes anLCD that allows for the display of color graphics, and a touch sensitiveinput device (touch screen) that allows users to input data to thedevice. The display may be used to prompt users interactively with,e.g., offers and information about their transaction status.

The separate device may alternatively be a programmed computer runningappropriate software for performing various functions described herein.The separate device may be operable to receive input from customers,receive payment from customers, exchange information with a remotelylocated server and/or display messages to customers (e.g., package offercontent). The separate device may be operable to instruct the vendingmachine that appropriate payment has been received (e.g., via a creditcard read by the separate device) and/or that a particular product orproducts should be dispensed by the vending machine. Further, a separatedevice may be operable to instruct the vending machine to executepackage promotions (e.g., including inventory group determinations),price changes, or the like.

Thus, a separate device may be operatively connected to a vendingmachine to perform the inventive processes described herein. In thismanner, conventional vending machines may be retrofitted with suchseparate devices so as to perform the inventive processes describedherein.

H. Network Embodiments

Various embodiments may be configured to operate in a networkenvironment including a computer that is in communication, via acommunications network, with one or more vending machines. The computermay communicate with the vending machines directly or indirectly, via awired or wireless medium such as the Internet, LAN, WAN or Ethernet,Token Ring, or via any appropriate communications means or combinationof communications means. Each of the vending machines may comprisecomputers, such as those based on the Intel® Pentium® or Centrino™processor, that are adapted to communicate with the computer. Any numberand type of machines may be in communication with the computer.

Communication between the vending machines and the computer, and amongthe vending machines, may be direct or indirect, such as over theInternet through a Web site maintained by computer on a remote server orover an on-line data network including commercial on-line serviceproviders, bulletin board systems and the like. In yet otherembodiments, the vending machines may communicate with one anotherand/or the computer over RF, cable TV, satellite links and the like.

Some, but not all, possible communication networks that may comprise thenetwork or be otherwise part of the system include: a local area network(LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, a telephone line, acable line, a radio channel, an optical communications line, and asatellite communications link. Possible communications protocols thatmay be part of the system include: Ethernet (or IEEE 802.3), SAP, ATP,Bluetooth™, and TCP/IP. Communication may be encrypted to ensure privacyand prevent fraud in any of a variety of ways well known in the art.

Those skilled in the art will understand that vending machines and/orcomputers in communication with each other need not be continuallytransmitting to each other. On the contrary, such vending machinesand/or computers need only transmit to each other as necessary ordesirable, and may actually refrain from exchanging data most of thetime. For example, a vending machine in communication with anothermachine via the Internet may not transmit data to the other machine forweeks at a time.

In an embodiment, a server, computer or controller may not be necessaryor desirable. For example, various embodiments may be practiced on astand-alone vending machine and/or a vending machine in communicationonly with one or more other vending machines. In such an embodiment, anyfunctions described as performed by the server computer or datadescribed as stored on the server computer may instead be performed byor stored on one or more vending machines.

In other embodiments, a vending machine may be in communication with aremote computer, such as a server, that provides the vending machinewith and/or receives from the vending machine, e.g., all or some of thedata described herein. Thus, in certain embodiments, the server maycomprise certain elements or portions of certain elements such as a datastorage device/memory.

In such an embodiment, the remote computer could be accessible, directlyor indirectly, via a second computer or device (communicating over theInternet or other network) by a customer or operator. Accordingly, acustomer or operator of the second computer or device could communicatewith the remote computer via a Web browser. The second computer ordevice could, e.g., receive from the remote computer messages describedherein as being output by the vending machine, and/or transmit to theremote computer input described herein as being provided to the vendingmachine. Similarly, various data described herein as received through aninput device of a vending machine may be received through a Web browsercommunicating with a remote server, which in turn communicates with thevending machine. Thus, an operator of the vending machine, through apersonal computer or other device, may have remote polling and reportingcapabilities, may be able to transmit new business rules andinstructions to the vending machine, and the like. Moreover, a customermay transact with a vending machine through his or her cellulartelephone, PDA, laptop computer, or the like.

IV. Vending Machine Logic

A. General Software Architecture

An exemplary software architecture suitable for practicing variousembodiments of the invention is disclosed. Based on the presentdisclosure, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily employ manyother architectures that are within the scope of the present invention.

In one embodiment, a software-based control system executes instructionsfor managing the operation of the vending machine, and in particular inaccordance with the inventive functionality described herein. Suchvending machine operations include, but are not limited to: (1) productpricing (e.g., displaying prices via an LED, changing such prices whereappropriate, etc.), (2) processing sales transactions by (i) receivingone or more product selection from a customer, (ii) processingappropriate payment via a payment processing mechanism, and/or (iii)actuating corresponding product dispensing mechanisms, (3) identifyingpackage offers (for example, by determining inventory groups), (4)outputting package offers to customers via output devices (includingdisplay of graphics/content on LCD and LED displays), and/or (5)recording transaction information (inventory levels, acceptance ratesfor package offers, etc.).

In some embodiments, machine peripherals (e.g., machine hardware,including mechanical hardware such as input devices, output devices,inventory dispensing mechanisms, and payment processing mechanismsincluding coin acceptors, bill validators, card readers, changedispensers, etc.) may be controlled by the software-based control systemthrough a standard RS-232 serial interface. In such embodiments,embedded APIs (Application Program Interfaces) and/or devices may beused to enable the software to actuate/control vending machineperipherals via RS-232 connectivity. Such vending machine peripheralsmay be operatively connected to the control system directly orindirectly, in any manner that is practicable.

As illustrated by FIG. 1, in one embodiment the control software thatdirects the control system can be divided into three abstractcomponents. Such division may provide a clear partition of tasks, whichmay be desirable so that any future modification and new programming ofone component can be applied without disrupting other components. Suchdivision also permits certain details of a component to be safelyignored by other components. In FIG. 1 the three abstract components areillustrated, including a Business Logic component 10, a Control Layercomponent 20, and an exemplary Machine Peripheral component 30. Asstated earlier, any number of machine peripherals may be employed. TheBusiness Logic component 10 is connected to Control Layer component 20via API 15; Control Layer component 20 is connected to MachinePeripheral component 30 via API 25.

In one embodiment the Business Logic component 10 visually representsthe portion of the software that selects promotional instances,determines inventory groups, configures offers, and the like, asdiscussed herein. Such a component may access a rules database and aninventory database to perform such functions. The Control Layercomponent 20 visually represents the portion of the software whichinterfaces with at least one Machine Peripheral component 30, andthereby transmits commands to perform such functions as: (i) outputtingoffer information via an output device (i.e. a Machine Peripheralcomponent 30), (ii) dispensing products via a product dispensingmechanism (i.e. a Machine Peripheral component 30), and/or (iii)dispensing change due to a customer via a payment processing mechanism,which may include a change dispenser and a currency storage apparatus(i.e. several Machine Peripheral components 30). As stated, the MachinePeripheral component 30 generally represents machine hardware, includingmechanical hardware such as input devices, output devices, inventorydispensing mechanisms, and payment processing mechanisms including coinacceptors, bill validators, card readers, change dispensers, etc.

Notwithstanding the embodiment of FIG. 1, those of ordinary skill in theart will readily recognize that the control software may be abstractlyrepresented in many, nonexclusive manners. Further, software may bedeveloped and/or represented according to many well-known paradigmsbesides a “layered” paradigm.

B. Package Offer Rules and Execution Thereof

-   -   1 . General Description

Applicants have recognized many effects that, when exploited accordingto many disclosed embodiments, can significantly increase the salesand/or profit per time period realized by a vending machine. Applicantshave recognized that by, for example, selling products at a lowermargin, but at a higher velocity or volume, the overall profitability ofa vending machine can be increased. Accordingly, in some embodiments, anoperator and/or vending machine may define, output and process packageoffers enabling customers to purchase a combination of products (fromone or more vending machines) for a single price.

By encouraging the sale of at least two products (particularly for asingle price, for a discounted price, or with a single payment)according to various disclosed embodiments, both vending machineoperators and customers can benefit.

As customers are encouraged, through package offers, to purchase moreproducts than they otherwise would, operators can benefit throughincreased sales volume. Operators further can benefit from the increasedrevenue and/or profitability (e.g., per time period, per transaction,per customer interaction) that results when such increases in salesvolume substantially offset any discount from the packaged products'individual retail prices. Additionally, operators may economicallyconfigure machines to accept alternative payment forms that have highertransaction costs (e.g., credit cards) than conventional payment forms(e.g., cash) because of the higher per-transaction revenue and profitthat results from selling combinations of products. The convenience ofsuch alternate payment forms can prompt customers to spend more thanthey would have spent otherwise.

Customers can benefit through (i) the net-savings that often resultswhen package prices are compared to the sum of the individual componentproducts' retail prices, and/or (ii) the added convenience gained fromthe ability to purchase several products in a single transaction.Further, as vending machines may be configured to economically offeralternate payment forms, customers may benefit from the flexibilityprovided by an increased number of payment options.

-   -   2. Process Steps of Various Embodiments

Several embodiments of advantageous processes are described below toillustrate the wide breadth of the disclosed invention.

Although some embodiments described herein refer to a single vendingmachine as dispensing units of products, a plurality of vending machinesmay be configured to provide units of products. Typically, more than onevending machine may be employed to provide units of different types ofproducts (e.g., a first vending machine which sells snack food and asecond vending machine which sells carbonated beverages).

Further, although one or more embodiments are described herein asenabling the sale of packages comprising two component products, itshould be understood that package offers may provide for the sale of anynumber of component products, including three, four and five componentproducts.

Many of the embodiments below are described as being performed wholly byone or more vending machines. However, it will be readily apparent toone of ordinary skill in the art that these processes may be performed,in whole or part, by a person (e.g., an operator), by a vending machine,by components of a vending machine, and/or by a device in communicationwith a vending machine (e.g., a peripheral device, a remote computer, acellular telephone, a PDA).

According to some embodiments, a memory stores instructions that, whenexecuted by a vending machine control system (e.g., a processor; anapplication-specific integrated circuit), direct a vending machine orother apparatus to identify, output and/or process package offers. Thus,in one or more embodiments, an operator may identify one or more packageoffers, and may record an indication of the one or more package offersin a memory accessible to a vending machine control system (e.g., aprocessor; an application-specific integrated circuit), so that thevending machine control system may process transactions in accordancewith the stored package offers. Alternatively, in one or more otherembodiments, a vending machine control system may identify and store oneor more package offers according to rules and processes describedherein.

According to one embodiment, an operator and/or vending machine definesat least one inventory group, which includes at least two products thatare available for sale by the vending machine. For example, the operatorand/or vending machine may define an inventory group that includes threespecific products (e.g., Snickers® candy bar, Milky Way® candy bar andTwix® candy bar). The operator and/or vending machine may define aninventory group by storing appropriate data in a database or othermemory structure. For example, the Table immediately below discloses onemanner of defining an inventory group.

TABLE 1 Example Definition of an Inventory Group Products Included inthe Inventory Group Identifier Inventory Group G001 P34 G001 P35 G001P17 G001 P22

In the Table above, the group identified by code “G001” includes thefour products identified by codes P34, P35, P17 and P22, respectively.One of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand any other waysto define an inventory group.

In an embodiment, an inventory group may include one or more products.Furthermore, in an embodiment, a product may be included in more thanone group. Furthermore, in an embodiment, an inventoried product may beincluded in no group.

For example, in an embodiment, the operator and/or vending machinedefines at least two inventory groups, and each of the at least twoinventory groups includes at least one respective product that isavailable for sale.

As described in detail herein, there are many ways to advantageouslydetermine which products are included in which groups. Generally, theproducts that are included in an inventory group may be indicated by anymeans of communicating information to a customer.

According to an embodiment, the vending machine outputs an indication ofproducts that the at least one inventory group includes. For example, inan embodiment the vending machine may control an output device tocommunicate (e.g., to a potential customer near the vending machine) theproducts that the at least one inventory group includes. When there ismore than one inventory group, the vending machine may output, for eachof the inventory groups, an indication of products that the respectiveinventory group includes.

If employed, an output device may comprise a flat panel monitor, cathoderay terminal (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD) or a like device thatdisplays text and/or images (e.g., still graphics, animated graphics) asdirected by the vending machine (e.g., that a group includes “any candybar” or “anything in the top row”). Alternatively or additionally, theoutput device may comprise an audio output device such as a speaker thatis operated by the vending machine to output appropriate sounds (e.g.,synthesized sound, pre-recorded sound), typically verbalinstructions/offers to potential customers. Sounds may be output withreference to one or more data files (e.g., wave tables, MP3 files).

Alternatively or additionally, the output device may comprise aplurality of colored lighting devices (e.g., LEDs, light bulbs, LCDpanels), in which each colored lighting device is located proximate toone product column. The vending machine could selectively illuminate theplurality of colored lighting devices to indicate the products that aparticular inventory group includes. For example, each product columnmay have proximate thereto a pair of LEDs, each a different color (e.g.,red and green respectively). To indicate the products that a firstinventory group includes, the vending machine could illuminate only thered LEDs that are proximate to the product columns of those includedproducts. To indicate the products that a second inventory groupincludes, the vending machine could similarly illuminate the appropriategreen LEDs.

Several variations may be readily made to the above-described method forindicating an inventory group. For example, each product column mayinclude more than two LEDs. Similarly, each product column could includea single LED that is capable of displaying more than one color, orotherwise indicating more than one inventory group, as directed by thevending machine.

In one or more embodiments, the products that are included in aninventory group may be indicated by any means for denoting productcolumns. For example, physical indicia such as stickers, signs, flags,price tags, RFID tags or the like could be applied to certain productcolumns to indicate that the products of that column are included in aninventory group.

Further, in an embodiment, a sign (e.g., located atop a vending machine)or advertisment (displayed or communicated to the customer in any mannerwhether or not proximate to the vending machine) may inform a customerthat an inventory group includes, for example, (1) all products of acertain type (e.g., categories of product such as candy bars or dietdrinks; products from a certain manufacturer or brand, such as Mars®,Coca-Cola® or Cadbury-Schweppes®), (2) all products of a certainlocation (all products in the top shelf of the vending machine, anyproduct from the right hand vending machine of an adjacently placed pairof vending machines, any product in any machine on the fourth floor of abuilding), (3) all products of a certain retail price (e.g., allproducts priced at $0.50 or less; all products priced between $0.51 and$0.75), and/or (4) certain products by name (e.g., a Snicker's® candybar) or column identifier (e.g., “A1”, “A2”).

In some embodiments, the indication of inventory groups may beadvantageously combined with the provision of an offer to the customer.For example, the vending machine may provide, to the customer, an offerto sell to the customer, for one predetermined price, (i) at least oneunit of any product that is included in a first inventory group, and(ii) at least one unit of any product that is included in a secondinventory group.

Offers, including package offers, may be output via many types ofdevices, such as via a flat panel monitor, cathode ray tube (CRT)monitor, liquid crystal display (LCD) or a like device that displaystext and/or images as directed by the vending machine (e.g., that apackage offer permits selection of “any candy bar and any beverage”).Alternatively or additionally, the output device may comprise an audiooutput device such as a speaker that is operated by the vending machineto output the appropriate sounds (e.g., synthesized sound, pre-recordedsound), typically verbal instructions/offers to potential customers.Sounds may be output with reference to one or more data files.

In an embodiment, a package offer may be provided by any means forcommunicating information to a customer. For example, a sign (e.g.,located atop a vending machine; on the side of a vending machine; on thetransparent glass of a vending machine) or advertisement (displayed orcommunicated to the customer in any manner whether or not proximate tothe vending machine) may include an offer to sell to the customer, forone predetermined price, (i) at least one unit of any product that isincluded in a first inventory group (e.g., all candy bars), and (ii) atleast one unit of any product that is included in a second inventorygroup (e.g., all products in a second vending machine).

In one or more embodiments, package offer and/or inventory groupinformation may be transmitted to a device or computer operated by acustomer. For example, package offer and/or inventory group informationmay be transmitted to a user's cellular telephone.

A package offer may be provided at various times. For example in one ormore embodiments, the package offer may be provided in response toreceiving payment or receiving any input (e.g., a touch screen has beenpressed). Alternatively or additionally, a package offer may be providedafter receiving a first selection of a product but before receiving asecond selection of a second product.

A package offer may be particularly enticing, and thus more likely to beaccepted, if the offer provides the customer with a discount or otherbenefit. For example, the vending machine could provide, to thecustomer, an offer to sell to the customer, for one predetermined price,(i) one unit of any product that is included in a first inventory group,and (ii) one unit of any product that is included in a second inventorygroup. The predetermined price could reflect a discount over the retailprices of the component products. In other words, the predeterminedprice could be less than the sum of (a) a price of one unit of anyproduct that is included in the first inventory group, and (b) a priceof one unit of any product that is included in the second inventorygroup.

According to one or more embodiments, an “acceptance” of an offer mayinclude payment and/or selection of product(s) from one or moreinventory groups that correspond to the offer. In one or moreembodiments, such an acceptance may be provided directly to a vendingmachine, for example, through one or more input devices of a vendingmachine or other device (e.g., a keypad; a touch screen; a coinacceptor; a personal computer; a PDA; a cellular telephone).Alternatively or additionally, in one or more embodiments, the customermay use a device such as a personal computer, PDA or cellular telephoneto accept a package offer (e.g., by using a keypad, microphone, and/ortouch screen thereof). In such embodiments, a signal indicatingacceptance may be transmitted from the device to a vending machinecontrol system (e.g., a processor; an application-specific integratedcircuit) through any wired or wireless communications means, medium orprotocol, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

According to an embodiment, the vending machine may receive from acustomer (whether or not in response to an offer) a selection of a firstproduct that the at least one inventory group includes. For example, thevending machine may indicate that all candy bars are included in a firstinventory group, and a customer may in response select a Snickers® candybar (which the first inventory group includes).

In an embodiment, the vending machine may receive, from a customer, aselection of (i) a first product that one of the inventory groupsincludes, and (ii) a second product that another one of the inventorygroups includes. In such an embodiment, the selection of products may bereceived simultaneously (e.g., by pressing a single button or iconrepresenting a specific package instance). Alternatively, the vendingmachine may receive, from the customer, a first selection of a firstproduct, and then a second selection of a second product.

As is well known, selection of products may be made in many ways.Customers may press certain combinations of buttons (e.g., “A1”indicates a particular product column, so the customer may press an “A”button and then press a “1” button on the keypad or touch screen of thevending machine). Such buttons may be physical buttons (e.g., composedof plastic and appropriately in communication with a processor of thevending machine). Such buttons may additionally or alternatively be“soft buttons” (e.g., graphically displayed on a touch-screen device,and responsive to pressure resulting from the customer pressing theappropriate areas of the touch screen). In one embodiment, soft buttonsmay comprise graphic icons representative of one or more products withinone or more inventory groups. Many other ways of selecting one or moreproducts are readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

According to one or more embodiments, the vending machine may process asale of (i) a unit of the first product selected by the customer, and(ii) a respective unit of at least one additional product, for a singleprice. In processing the sale, the vending machine will typically awaitsufficient payment, dispense the appropriate units of the appropriateproducts, and/or provide change if any change is due the customer. Insome embodiments, a vending machine may debit a prepaid account, such asa “subscription” or prepaid unit account described with reference toApplicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,298,972; 6,085,888; 5,988,346; U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/527,988; and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 60/668,405.

The at least one additional product may have been explicitly selected bythe customer, for example, by pressing appropriate buttons that indicatethe additional product(s). Additionally or alternatively, the at leastone additional product may have been selected “for” the customer by theoperator and/or vending machine control system in various manners. Forexample, the at least one additional product may be a product which is,by default, added to an order by a customer. In another embodiment, theat least one additional product may be offered to a customer (“would youlike a stick of gum for an extra ten cents?”) and “selected” by thecustomer when the customer accepts the offer (e.g., pressing an “OK”button).

According to an embodiment, the vending machine may process a sale of aunit of the first product and a unit of the second product uponreceiving from the customer one payment of at least a predeterminedprice. For example, the vending machine may receive from the customer asingle payment (e.g., a dollar bill is inserted, a credit card accountis charged) which constitutes the predetermined price. Alternatively,the vending machine may receive from the customer a single payment whichexceeds the predetermined price. Further still, the vending machine mayreceive from the customer an authorization to debit an amount less than,equal to or greater than a predetermined price from a prepaid account,such as a “subscription” or prepaid unit account described withreference to Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,298,972; 6,085,888; 5,988,346;U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/527,988; and U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/668,405. The vending machinemay provide change to the customer as appropriate.

In addition to the features and embodiments described above, it may behighly advantageous to define inventory group(s) according to variousprocesses and/or utilizing various information. Accordingly, manyembodiments for defining inventory groups are described in detailimmediately below.

C. Proactive Inventory Grouping

In “proactive inventory grouping” embodiments, various data (e.g.,product sales data, product cost data) may be employed by an operatorand/or vending machine control system to determine how to apportioninventory among inventory groups (typically at least two inventorygroups) before a customer selects any product (e.g., pursuant to apackage offer). Before or after the apportioning of products toinventory groups is complete, package offers encouraging the purchase ofat least two products from at least two inventory groups may be providedto prospective customers (e.g., output through a vending machine'soutput device; printed on a sign an affixed to a vending machine by anoperator).

Of course, steps performed in a proactive inventory grouping embodimentdoes not imply that those steps may only be performed in a proactiveinventory grouping embodiment.

A proactive inventory grouping process by which one or more inventorygroups are each defined to include one or more respective products maybe initiated periodically, substantially continuously or after an event(e.g., a transaction, a restocking, a power-up, a command received froman operator). It can be desirable that customers throughout each daywill receive the same ability to purchase products from the sameinventory groups (e.g., one customer will not be offered the ability toselect products from a more or less favorable inventory grouping thanthat which was provided to another customer that day). Thus, inembodiments where the process is initiated periodically, it may bedesirable to set the time interval between process executions (i.e.defining inventory groups) so that the process is executed at convenienttimes (e.g., every 24 hours starting at midnight).

Alternatively or additionally, in embodiments where the process isexecuted after a triggering event such as a transaction with a customer,it may be desirable that the process is initiated a number of minutesafter a transaction, when no intervening transaction has been initiatedor otherwise processed (e.g., the process is initiated 30 minutes aftera transaction, provided no intervening transaction has beenconsummated). In this manner, it may be safe to assume that the machineis experiencing a lull in sales, and that potential customersaccordingly may not witness any change of inventorygroupings/apportionments (i.e. a customer is unlikely to walk up to themachine and witness any reallocation of inventory from a “red” group toa “green” group).

According to one proactive inventory grouping embodiment, which isillustrated by FIG. 2, the illustrated proactive inventory groupingprocess functions to, among other things, allocate products availablefor sale to inventory groups based on (1) the relative value ratings ofthe products, and/or (2) stored rules for determining, among otherthings, whether products should be included in package offers. Adescription of the steps of FIG. 2, which provides a flow chart for sucha proactive inventory grouping process, follows:

-   -   1. Step 100: Determine Value Rating of Each Inventoried Item

At Step 100, the operator and/or vending machine may determine a valuerating of products by, for example, accessing an inventory database todetermine, among other things, products in inventory and characteristicsthereof.

The value ratings of products may be used to determine the productswhich various inventory groups include. For example, each product that afirst inventory group includes may have a rating that is not less than arating of any product that the second inventory group includes. Asanother example, a first inventory group may include a certain portionof the highest rated products (e.g., the products with the five highestvalue ratings; the highest 50%, by value rating, of all products).

The Table immediately below describes an example inventory database:

TABLE 2 Example Inventory Database Quantity at Actual Ideal Product RowPosition Product Retail Beginning of Quantity Sales Sales NameIdentifier Category Price Cost Margin Fill Period Remaining Restock DateRate Rate Coca-Cola ® A1 Beverage $.75 $.35 $.40 20 8 Jun. 30, 20031.2/day 1.3/day Diet Coke ® A2 Beverage $.75 $.30 $.45 20 6 Jun. 30,2003 1.4/day 1.3/day A&W Root Beer ® A3 Beverage $.65 $.35 $.30 20 9Jun. 30, 2003 1.1/day 1.3/day Doritos ® B1 Snack $.50 $.30 $.20 25 11Jun. 30, 2003 1.4/day 1.6/day Lay's ® Potato Chips B2 Snack $.75 $.30$.45 25 7 Jun. 30, 2003 1.8/day 1.6/day Cheetos ® B3 Snack $.60 $.30$.30 25 17 Jun. 30, 2003 0.8/day 1.6/day Double-Mint ® C1 Chewing Gum$.35 $.20 $.15 40 18 Jun. 30, 2003 2.2/day 2.6/day Juicy Fruit ® C2Chewing Gum $.35 $.20 $.15 40 23 Jun. 30, 2003 1.7/day 2.6/day Dentyne ®C3 Chewing Gum $.40 $.20 $.20 40 36 Jun. 30, 2003 1.1/day 2.6/day

As the above inventory database illustrates, for each product, acorresponding product category, retail price, cost, margin, quantity atthe beginning of the fil period, quantity remaining as of the currentdate/time, restock date, actual sales rate and ideal sales rate. Thedata stored by such a database may be entered by an operator (e.g., whorestocks the vending machine), determined by the vending machine withits peripheral devices (e.g., data indicating that a product has beensold, that an amount of money has been received), set randomly, and/orcalculated from available data (e.g., other data stored by the inventorydatabase or another database).

The exemplary data in the above inventory database assumes that thebeginning of the fill period was Jun. 15, 2003, and that the currentdate is Jun. 25, 2003 (i.e. 10 days into the fill period). Further, theexemplary data in the above inventory database will be referred tothroughout the remaining discussion of this process to illustrate stepsof the example proactive inventory grouping embodiment in which thevalue rating of individual products are considered. For the purpose ofthis ongoing example, it shall be assumed that a package offer to acustomer will define two products which may be purchased together for$1.00, in which one product is included in a first (“green”) inventorygroup, and one product is included in a second (“red”) inventory group.

At Step 100 of FIG. 2, a value rating is determined for each inventoriedproduct. There are many ways that value ratings could be represented andmany ways that value ratings could be determined.

A value rating may be represented as a numerical quantity (e.g., a sum,an average, a rate), a set of numerical quantities (e.g., a vector, amatrix), or any other quantity that may be used for purposes ofcalculation, comparison and/or evaluation. A value rating may also bequalitative, such as “high”, “medium”, or “low”; “popular” or“unpopular”; “high cost” or “low cost”; etc. In one or more embodiments,the value rating of one or more products may be determined byconsidering one or more of (i) the time remaining until a restock date,(ii) the time remaining until an expiration date of a product orproducts, (iii) an actual sales rate of a product or products, (iv) atarget or ideal sales rate of a product or products, (v) the fixed costof a product or products, (vi) the variable cost of a product orproducts; (vii) the retail price of an individual unit of a product orproducts, (viii) the retail profit margin of a product or products whensold for the retail price, (ix) the profit margin of a package instancecomprising a given combination of products; (x) the historicalacceptance rate of a package instance comprising a given combination ofproducts, (xi) one or more products' income or profit contributionfactor(s); (xii) the availability to an operator via wholesale marketsof one or more products; (xiii) the number of units of a product orproducts in the inventory of one or more vending machines; (xiv) thenumber of units of a product or products in the inventory of an operator(e.g., in a warehouse; on a delivery truck); (xv) the amount of ordegree to which coupons, discounts (e.g., volume discounts), rebates,trade credits or other incentives are available to vending machineoperators and/or customers from product suppliers; and/or (xvi) anyother consideration.

Thus, a value rating may be determined using a formula in which any ofthe above criteria (i) through (xvi) may serve as variables. Forexample, in one embodiment, a value rating is determined by identifyinga product's retail profit margin (as determined by subtracting theproduct's cost from the product's retail price). For example, followingthe exemplary data in the above inventory database, the vending machinecontrol system would determine that a Diet Coke® soda has a margin of$0.45. The value rating of each product may be that product's margin,some proportion of the margin, or some other variation of the margin(e.g., the product's margin multiplied by its actual sales rate).

In another embodiment, value ratings may be determined by multiplying aproduct's margin by its actual sales rate expressed as a percentage ofthe product's ideal sales rate. By using a product's actual sales rateas a basis for predicting future sales, the vending machine controlsystem can determine the likelihood (e.g., as a percentage) that theparticular product will sell at the product's ideal sales rate. In turn,by multiplying this percentage by the product's margin, a value ratingcan be determined that may provide some useful insight into the profitpotential of a given product. The table immediately below illustratessuch an embodiment in the context of the ongoing example. In theillustrated embodiment, the value rating of each product (as describedabove in the inventory database) is calculated by multiplying eachproduct's margin by a percentage that reflects the product's actualsales rate divided by the product's ideal sales rate:

TABLE 3 Values calculated based on Actual and Desired Sales Rates ActualIdeal Actual Sales Rate Sales Sales as percent of Value Product MarginRate Rate ideal sales rate Rating Coca-Cola ® $.40 1.2/day 1.3/day 92%$.37 Diet Coke ® $.45 1.4/day 1.3/day 107%  $.48 A&W Root $.30 1.1/day1.3/day 85% $.26 Beer ® Doritos ® $.20 1.4/day 1.6/day 88% $.18 Lay's ®$.45 1.8/day 1.6/day 113%  $.51 Potato Chips Cheetos ® $.30 0.8/day1.6/day 50% $.15 Double-Mint ® $.15 2.2/day 2.6/day 85% $.13 JuicyFruit ® $.15 1.7/day 2.6/day 65% $.10 Dentyne ® $.20 1.1/day 2.6/day 42%$.08

In various embodiments, products can be scored, sorted and/or rankedbased on their relative value ratings, and such data can be stored inRAM (e.g., of a vending machine; of an operator's computer) pending Step200, below, at which point the scoring, sorting and/or ranking may beconsidered in the allocation of products to inventory groups.Alternatively or additionally, an operator may record an indication ofthe ranked products (e.g., on a piece of paper; by using a spreadsheetprogram such as Microsoft® Excel®; by using a database program). Thus,following the ongoing example (in which the value rating of each productin the above inventory database was calculated by multiplying eachproduct's margin by its actual sales rate as a percentage of its idealsales rate), inventoried products can be sorted in descending orderbased on their relative value ratings, as illustrated by the tableimmediately below:

TABLE 4 Values calculated based on Actual and Ideal Sales Rates ActualIdeal Actual sales rate Sales Sales as percent of Value Product MarginRate Rate ideal sales rate Rating Lay's ® $.45 1.8/day 1.6/day 113% $.51 Potato Chips Diet Coke ® $.45 1.4/day 1.3/day 107%  $.48Coca-Cola ® $.40 1.2/day 1.3/day 92% $.37 A&W Root $.30 1.1/day 1.3/day85% $.26 Beer ® Doritos ® $.20 1.4/day 1.6/day 88% $.18 Cheetos ® $.300.8/day 1.6/day 50% $.15 Double-Mint ® $.15 2.2/day 2.6/day 85% $.13Juicy Fruit ® $.15 1.7/day 2.6/day 65% $.10 Dentyne ® $.20 1.1/day2.6/day 42% $.08

In embodiments where value ratings of products are determined based onprofit contribution factors, such products might be ranked or sortedaccording to their relative profit contribution percentages. Forexample, if a vending machine which sold only products A, B and C duringa fill period realized a total of $100 in profit, $45 of which wasgenerated through the sale of product A, $40 through product B and $15through product C, then the products would be sorted in the order of A(45% of the total profit), B (40% of the total profit) and C (15% of thetotal profit). Further, in some embodiments, only those products thatremain in inventory (i.e. are available for sale) at the time when Step100 is executed are considered in the ranking or sorting, and thus, inthe subsequent allocation procedure of Step 200, which defines one ormore inventory groups.

Again, in one or more embodiments, a value rating (and thus any ensuingranking and/or allocation to one or more inventory groups as describedherein) may be based on the fixed and/or variable cost of one or moreproducts. For example, a product having a fixed or variable cost greaterthan or equal to 50% of its retail price may (e.g., at Step 100) bedeemed “high cost” or “low margin”, and may accordingly (e.g., at Step200) be allocated to a first inventory group, from which a customer may(e.g., at Step 400) select one or more items pursuant to a packageoffer. Further, a product having a fixed or variable cost less than 50%of its retail price may be deemed “low cost” or “high margin”, and maybe allocated to a second inventory group, from which a customer mayselect one or more items pursuant to a package offer. In this manner,operators and/or vending machines may allocate inventory to two or moreinventory groups in a way that requires customers to offset savingsafforded them through the purchase of low margin or high cost item witha required, simultaneous purchase of at least one high margin or lowcost item.

-   -   2. Step 200: Determine Allocation of Products to Inventory        Groups Based on Value Rating Determination and Stored Rules

The value rating associated with each product may be used in assigningproducts to inventory groups.

In one embodiment, an inventory group may define a given number ofcomponent product “slots”, or a designated number of products or unitsof product that may be allocated to that inventory group. In otherwords, an inventory group is defined in part according to how manyproducts or units of product the inventory group should include.

For example, a vending machine may be configured to have two inventorygroups, such as “green” group and “red” group, in which the red grouphas three component product slots and the green group has six componentproduct slots. Thus a customer might be offered to select one componentproduct from the three red slots (i.e. select one product from threepossible products) and one component from the six green slots (i.e.select one product from six possible products). The slots of a group maybe “filled” according to value ratings of products. For example, the sixproducts having the highest profit contribution factors may be allocatedto the “green” inventory group, and

As described above, two or more groups may include the same product, andno group may include certain products.

In another embodiment, a predetermined percentage of the products (or ofonly the products which are available for sale, such as those which arecurrently in a vending machine's inventory) may be allocated to eachgroup so that, for example, 50% of the products will be allocated to the“red” group and the remaining 50% of products will be allocated to the“green” group. In particular, it can be advantageous to allocate similarproducts to a group. For example, the top 50% (by value rating) ofproducts are allocated to one group, and the remaining products areallocated to another group.

In another embodiment, all products having a value rating over a certainthreshold (e.g., over $0.25) may be placed in a particular inventorygroup (e.g., in the “red” inventory group).

Each inventory group may be associated with a rule (e.g., a recordedvalue rating-based allocation rule) defining the products that areallocated to the inventory group. For example, in an embodiment wherethree component product slots are “red” and six component product slotsare “green”, a profitability-based allocation rule may provide that (1)the three inventoried products having the highest value ratings are tobe allocated to the “red” inventory group, and (2) the six inventoriedproducts having the lowest value ratings are to be allocated to the“green” inventory group. Thus, continuing with the ongoing example,Lay's® Potato Chips, Diet Coke® and Coca-Cola® would be allocated to thered inventory group; and A&W Root Beer®, Doritos®, Cheetos®,Double-Mint®, Juicy Fruit® and Dentyne® would be allocated to the greeninventory group. Accordingly, a package offer may provide that acustomer may purchase one product from the red group and one productfrom the green group for $1.00.

In an alternate embodiment, rather than having a fixed number ofinventory slots or a percentage-based division of products amonginventory groups, the number of slots in each inventory group may bedetermined randomly and/or pursuant to a genetic algorithm, whereby agiven slot configuration is tested randomly and evaluated against otherconfigurations.

Further, alternatively or additionally, a set of package offer rules mayalso be employed in determining how to allocate products to differentinventory groups. An exemplary Package Offer Rules Database isrepresented by the Table immediately below:

TABLE 5 Package Offer Rules Database Package Offer Rule Number Rule 1Products from “beverage” category cannot be in same inventory groupingas products from “chewing gum” category. 2 Total margin of packageinstance based on $1.00 package price cannot be equal to or less than50% of the sum of the individual component products' margins. 3 Do notallocate to inventory groups those products selling at ≧110% of targetsales rate. 4 Cheetos ® must be both in red and green inventory groups

Although rules may be represented as being stored in a database forreference, such rules may be implemented in an wide variety of manners,such as (i) “hard coded” into software, firmware and/or hardware, and(ii) coded in software/firmware/hardware with reference to parameterswhich are stored in a database or other memory structure. Moreover, suchrules may be printed, so that an operator may reference them visually.

As illustrated, a database may provide one or more rules that govern theallocation of products to inventory groups, whether or not withreference to the value ratings of the products. The exemplary data inthe above database of Table 5 depicts several rules. For example, asdemonstrated by Package Offer Rule Number 1, a package offer rule mayprovide that products from certain categories may or may not be packagedwith products from other categories. Such a rule may be desirable toensure that only certain combinations of products are offered and/or sothat certain combinations of products are not offered. For example, itmay be decided (e.g., by an operator) that certain products complementeach other, as may a beverage and a snack. Conversely, it may be decided(e.g., by an operator) that certain products should not be included in apackage offer (e.g., as in Package Offer Rule Number 1, “beverages”cannot be included in package offers with “chewing gum”). Products thatare affected by such rules (e.g., whether a product is a “beverage”) canbe determined, for example, by appropriate notation or data stored in aninventory database, on an RFID tag, or otherwise. For example, allproducts that are “beverages” can be indicated in an inventory databaseas such by a flag in the corresponding record of the product.Alternatively, the rule which refers to beverages can in fact directlyrefer to a specific plurality of products (e.g., each identified by arespective product code).

Further, as demonstrated by Package Offer Rule Number 2, a package offerrule may provide that the total margin of a package instance, based on agiven package price, cannot be equal to or less than a certain percentof the sum of the individual component product's margins (based on theirrespective individual retail prices).

Similarly, a package offer rule may provide that the total margin of apackage instance, based on a given package price, cannot be less thanthe margin that would result from a sale of the individual componentproducts at their retail prices, unless a threshold volume of sales(e.g., as measured by units sold, or units sold per time period) for oneor more of the component products is likely to be achieved by virtue ofthe component products' inclusion in a package offer. Such a rule may bedesirable to ensure that any discounts offered by way of package offersare sufficiently offset by an increase in sales volume. For example, byrequiring that a certain package instance have a certain historicacceptance rate, operators can rest assured that a discount offered forthe products by virtue of a package price that is less than the sum ofthe component products' individual retail prices will not likely resultin a decrease in profits.

Further still, a package offer rule may provide that products sellingabove or below a given actual sales rate may or may not be included incertain inventory groups (or in any inventory group). For example,Package Offer Rule Number 3 illustrates a rule that provides that aproduct having an actual sales rate above a certain threshold is not tobe included in inventory groups (e.g., any inventory group which mightbe used in a package offer). Such a rule can be useful in preventingprice dilution that may otherwise result when very popular products aresold on promotion through package offers. As is known, price dilutiongenerally involves the negative effect on profitability that can ensuewhen a product is sold for a price lower than a customer otherwise mighthave paid for the product.

Some embodiments can reduce or eliminate the effects of dilution thatmay otherwise result when package prices are less than the sum of theindividual component products' retail prices. In other words, becausevery popular products are highly likely to sell at their current retailprices, it may be decided (e.g., by an operator) that very popularproducts should not ever be sold at a discount, even for purposes ofpromoting the sale of additional (relatively less popular) productsthrough package offers. Alternatively, it may be desirable to packagetogether only products having actual sales rates above a certainthreshold with products having actual sales rates below a certainthreshold. In this manner, an operator may attempt to leverage thepopularity of a given product to sell additional, relatively lesspopular products.

Further still, an inventory group may be defined to include a particularset of products based on a product the customers first selects (e.g., ifproduct A1 is selected, then the second inventory group is defined toinclude products B1, B2 and B3).

Moreover, a rule may provide that particular products are to be includedin some, all or no inventory groups. For example, Package Offer RuleNumber 4, above, illustrates an example rule that requires Cheetos® tobe included in both green and red inventory groups, regardless of valuerating.

Thus, continuing with the ongoing example, the table immediately belowillustrates the effect of Package Offer Rules 1, 3 and 4 on theinventory group allocations:

TABLE 6 Effect of Package Offer Rules Actual Sales Preliminary InventoryRate as per- Grouping Inventory Grouping Relevant Package Offer ProductRetail cent of ideal (i.e. before application after considering Rule(from Package Offer Product Category Price Margin sales rate of PackageOffer Rules) Package Offer Rules Rule Database) Lay's ® Potato ChipsSnack $.75 $.45 113%  Red None 3 Diet Coke ® Beverage $.75 $.45 107% Red Red N/a Coca-Cola ® Beverage $.75 $.40 92% Red Red N/a A&W ® RootBeer Beverage $.65 $.30 85% Green None 1 Doritos ® Snack $.50 $.20 88%Green Red N/a Cheetos ® Snack $.60 $.30 50% Green Green, Red 4Double-Mint ® Chewing Gum $.35 $.15 85% Green Green N/a Juicy Fruit ®Chewing Gum $.35 $.15 65% Green Green N/a Dentyne ® Chewing Gum $.40$.20 42% Green Green N/a

As shown, Package Offer Rule 3, which functions to prevent packaging ofproducts which have sales rates greater or equal to 110% of their targetsales rates, precludes the inclusion in any package offer of Lay's®potato chips, which has an actual sales rate of 113% of its target salesrate. Further, pursuant to Package Offer Rule 4, Cheetos® are allocatedto both the red and green inventory groups, despite the initial valuerating-based allocation of Cheetos® solely to the green inventory group.Additionally, considering Package Offer Rule 1, A&W Root Beer®, abeverage, cannot be included in the green inventory grouping becausechewing gum products preliminarily exist in the green inventory groupingas a result of the above-illustrated allocation based on value rating.

Thus, without yet considering Package Offer Rule 2, the possiblecombinations of component products (i.e. the package instances) areillustrated in the table immediately below:

TABLE 7 Possible Combinations Product 1 Product 2 Diet Coke ® Cheetos ®Diet Coke ® Double-Mint ® Diet Coke ® Juicy Fruit ® Diet Coke ®Dentyne ® Coca-Cola ® Cheetos ® Coca-Cola ® Double-Mint ® Coca-Cola ®Juicy Fruit ® Coca-Cola ® Dentyne ® Doritos ® Cheetos ® Doritos ®Double-Mint ® Doritos ® Juicy Fruit ® Doritos ® Dentyne ® Cheetos ®Cheetos ® Cheetos ® Double-Mint ® Cheetos ® Juicy Fruit ® Cheetos ®Dentyne ®

However, considering Package Offer Rule 2, which provides that the totalmargin of a package instance based on a $1.00 package price cannot beequal to or less than 50% of the sum of the individual componentproduct's margins, it becomes apparent that the package instance whereCoca-Cola® and Cheetos® are purchased together for the package price of$1.00 violates Package Offer Rule 2. The table immediately below shows,for each potential instance in the ongoing example, whether or not thatpackage instance violates Package Offer Rule 2:

TABLE 8 Violation of Package Offer Rule 2 Total Margin of PackageInstance Sum of Product Product 1 Product 2 at $1.00 Package 1 Margin atViolates Product Margin at Product Margin at Price (i.e. $1.00 - RetailPrice + Package 1 Retail Product Retail 2 Retail Product Retail (CostProduct 1 + Product 2 Margin Offer Product 1 Price 1 Cost Price Product2 Price 2 Cost Price Cost Product 2) at Retail Price Rule 2? Diet Coke ®$.75 $.30 $.45 Cheetos ® $.60 $.30 $.30 $.40 $.75 No Diet Coke ® $.75$.30 $.45 Double-Mint ® $.35 $.20 $.15 $.50 $.60 No Diet Coke ® $.75$.30 $.45 Juicy Fruit ® $.35 $.20 $.15 $.50 $.60 No Diet Coke ® $.75$.30 $.45 Dentyne ® $.40 $.20 $.20 $.50 $.65 No Coca-Cola ® $.75 $.35$.40 Cheetos ® $.60 $.30 $.30 $.35 $.70 Yes Coca-Cola ® $.75 $.35 $.40Double-Mint ® $.35 $.20 $.15 $.45 $.55 No Coca-Cola ® $.75 $.35 $.40Juicy Fruit ® $.35 $.20 $.15 $.45 $.55 No Coca-Cola ® $.75 $.35 $.40Dentyne ® $.40 $.20 $.20 $.45 $.60 No Doritos ® $.50 $.30 $.20 Cheetos ®$.60 $.30 $.30 $.40 $.50 No Doritos ® $.50 $.30 $.20 Double-Mint ® $.35$.20 $.15 $.50 $.35 No Doritos ® $.50 $.30 $.20 Juicy Fruit ® $.35 $.20$.15 $.50 $.35 No Doritos ® $.50 $.30 $.20 Dentyne ® $.40 $.20 $.20 $.50$.40 No Cheetos ® $.60 $.30 $.30 Cheetos ® $.60 $.30 $.30 $.40 $.60 NoCheetos ® $.60 $.30 $.30 Double-Mint ® $.35 $.20 $.15 $.50 $.45 NoCheetos ® $.60 $.30 $.30 Juicy Fruit ® $.35 $.20 $.15 $.50 $.45 NoCheetos ® $.60 $.30 $.30 Dentyne ® $.40 $.20 $.20 $.50 $.50 No

As shown in the above example, the package instance including Coca-Cola®and Cheetos® is impermissible according to Package Offer Rule 2. Thus,an operator and/or vending control system may make an adjustment to theinventory group allocations so that Coca-Cola® is not offered withCheetos®. Because, in this example, Rule 4 provides that Cheetos® mustbe included in both the green and red inventory groups, Coca-Cola® maybe removed from the red inventory group so that Coca-Cola® cannot beselected by a customer along with Cheetos®, a green inventory product,pursuant to a package offer. Thus, in this ongoing example, Coca-Cola®would not be assigned to either inventory group. Accordingly, Coca-Cola®would not be included in an offer that is defined solely by inventorygroups, and thus could not be selected by a customer as a componentproduct pursuant to such a package offer.

Thus, after preliminarily allocating the inventoried products in theongoing example to red and/or green inventory groups based on theirrelative value ratings and then considering all the package offer rulesin the exemplary Package Offer Rules Database, the possible packageinstances, and the component products' inventory groupings in eachinstance, are shown in the table immediately below:

TABLE 9 Package Instances Inventory Inventory Product 1 Grouping Product2 Grouping Diet Coke ® Red Cheetos ® Green Diet Coke ® Red Double-Mint ®Green Diet Coke ® Red Juicy Fruit ® Green Diet Coke ® Red Dentyne ®Green Doritos ® Red Cheetos ® Green Doritos ® Red Double-Mint ® GreenDoritos ® Red Juicy Fruit ® Green Doritos ® Red Dentyne ® GreenCheetos ® Red or Green Cheetos ® Green or Red Cheetos ® RedDouble-Mint ® Green Cheetos ® Red Juicy Fruit ® Green Cheetos ® RedDentyne ® Green

-   -   3. Step 300: Output Package Offer

According to the described embodiment, after the inventoried productshave been allocated to the inventory group(s), the operator and/orvending machine may output a package offer to customers.

In one or more embodiments, a package offer is output via one or moreoutput devices of a vending machine. Many methods are contemplated forcommunicating offers via output devices. For example, an LCD display mayread “Pick one red product and one green product for $1.00!”, and LEDdisplays located proximately to several products may illuminate or flashin red and/or green as determined by the inventory groups. Following theongoing example, the LED displays located proximately to the followingproducts would flash in red: Diet Coke®, Doritos®, and Cheetos®.Additionally, the LED displays located proximately to the followingproducts would flash in green: Dentyne®, Cheetos®, Double-Mint® andJuicy Fruit®.

In another embodiment, package offers may be communicated entirelythrough an LCD display (e.g., through digital icons representing thequalifying products). Alternatively, in another embodiment, a packageoffer may be communicated through a combination of static displays(e.g., painted or printed signage reading “Pick one red product and onegreen product for $1.00”) and LED displays located proximately toqualifying component products (e.g., LEDs next to qualifying productsmay flash in red and/or green as appropriate).

Further still, in one or more embodiments, inventory groups (from whichcustomers may select products pursuant to a package offer) may becommunicated to customers by virtue of the underlying componentproducts' physical placement within one or more vending machines. Forexample, a first inventory group may comprise any products stocked inone or more particular columns of a vending machine, whereas a secondinventory group may comprise any products stocked in one or more othercolumns of the vending machine. Alternatively or additionally, a firstinventory group may comprise some or all of the products stocked withina first vending machine, and a second inventory group may comprise someor all of the products stocked within a second (e.g., nearby) vendingmachine. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, inventory groups maybe communicated to customers through the placement of physical indicia(e.g., stickers, signs, cards, flags, price tags, RFID tags) on or nearthe underlying component products.

-   -   4. Step 400: Process Transaction in Accordance with Package        Offer

After a package offer is output to a customer, a customer may acceptsuch a package offer. Accordingly, at Step 400, the vending machine mayreceive, through an input device, an indication of a customer'sacceptance of a package offer. Such an indication may comprise thereceipt of payment (e.g., currency, a payment identifier such as acredit card number) through payment processing mechanisms such as coinacceptors, bill validators, coupon readers, and/or card readers.

In embodiments where a customer has prepaid for products, the “receiptof payment” for the offered products may comprise a command by thecustomer to redeem prepaid credit, units or the like. For example, thecustomer could enter, via a touch screen, a code which uniquelyidentifies his previous prepayment for a certain number of products(e.g., five units of any product, six units of any beverage).Additionally or alternatively, the prepayment could be evidenced by amagnetic strip card or bar code which is read by a peripheral of thevending machine.

Alternatively or additionally, an indication of acceptance of the offermay comprise a signal, received through an input device such as afingerprint reader, keypad or touch screen, indicating that the customerdesires to purchase a combination of products pursuant to a packageoffer (e.g., clicking a “YES” button on a touch screen).

In accordance with Step 400, a customer selects at least one productfrom each of at least two inventory groups. Thus, a customer may selecta product from a first inventory group by inputting, into a keypad ortouch screen, an indication of a product that the first inventory groupincludes (e.g., a “red” product). Following the ongoing example, acustomer may select from the red inventory group either Diet Coke®,Doritos®, or Cheetos® by inputting into a keypad his or her selection ofRow Position Identifier A2, B1 or B3, respectively. After the customerselects a first product from the first inventory group, the customer maybe instructed to and the customer may indeed select a second productfrom a second inventory group. Following the ongoing example, a customermay select, from the green inventory group, Dentyne®, Cheetos®,Double-Mint® or Juicy Fruit® by inputting into a keypad his or herselection of Row Position Identifier C3, B3, C1 or C2, respectively.

In some embodiments, a default time for selecting the second product isprovided such that if the customer does not select a second product fromthe second inventory group within the default time, the vending machinemay (1) consummate the transaction as if the first selected product waspurchased at its retail price by dispensing a unit of the product andproviding change, if appropriate; (2) prompt the customer with areminder message via an output device (e.g., a speaker, a touch screen);or (3) automatically identify and dispense, as the second componentproduct, a unit of a “default” product that the second inventory groupincludes (e.g., a stored rule may provide that the product in the secondinventory group having the highest retail profit margin is automaticallydispensed).

In some embodiments, if the customer does not select an appropriatesecond product but rather selects an inappropriate product (e.g.,selects a product that is not allocated to the second inventory group),then the vending machine may output, through an output device, an errormessage prompting the customer to select a product from the appropriate(second) inventory group. Such an error message may be output throughany output device, such as a speaker, an LCD screen, an LED display, orthe like. In some embodiments, error messages may be accompanied bysuggested selections, so that the operator and/or vending machine mayattempt to influence the customer's choice of the second product. Forexample, an error message may read, “Sorry, the product you selected isnot a green item. Why not try delicious Dentyne® chewing gum?” Further,in some embodiments, an operator and/or vending machine may offer acustomer who has selected a product that is not within an inventorygroup the option of paying an additional premium for the ability topurchase the item in the ongoing transaction.

At Step 400 the vending machine may also process payment in aconventional manner such as by (i) detecting an amount that isdeposited/rendered/provided, comparing that amount to a (package) price,and dispensing change due if appropriate, or (ii) requesting a creditauthorization from a remote computer, such as a computer operated by acredit card transaction processing company (e.g., First Data Corp.).

As stated, in some embodiments, payment may have been previouslyrendered (e.g., $5 was previously paid for the right to purchase fivepairs of products in the future). If so, and if the products pursuant tosuch prepayment are being redeemed in the transaction, many well knownprocesses may be employed to debit the prepaid account for the redeemedproducts.

Further, at Step 400, depending on which products were selected by thecustomer, the operator and/or vending machine control system maytransmit one or more signals to one or more product dispensing apparatusof one or more vending machines to dispense the at least two products.In one embodiment, dispensing signals are sent to corresponding productdispensing actuators/motors after the customer selects all componentproducts. In another embodiment, such dispensing signals are sent tocorresponding product actuators/motors substantially immediately aftereach component product is selected, so that products are made availableimmediately following selection.

-   -   5. Step 500: Record Results in Database

At Step 500, the operator and/or vending machine records results of thetransaction in a database or similar memory structure. Step 500 mayinclude the step of (1) updating one or more inventory records in aninventory database to reflect the vending of products (i.e. the quantityavailable of products sold is decreased to account for sales of units ofthe products), and/or (2) updating an acceptance or sales rateassociated with a product or products (e.g., the package instanceselected by the customer) to reflect the sale of a product or products(e.g., recording the units sold, the time of the sale and/or the date ofthe sale). Following the ongoing example, assuming that a customer onJun. 25, 2003 purchased, for a $1.00 package price, one can of DietCoke® and one package of Double-Mint® gum, then the above inventorydatabase would be updated to reflect that five units of Diet Coke® andseventeen units of Double-Mint® gum remain in inventory and availablefor sale. Likewise, the actual sales rates of Diet Coke® would beupdated from 1.2/day to 1.3/day; the actual sales rate of Double-Mint®gum would be updated from 2.2/day to 2.3/day. Thus, through the packagepromotion, Diet Coke® would have reached its ideal sales rate of1.3/day, and the actual sales rate of Double-Mint® gum would have movedsignificantly closer to its ideal sales rate of 2.6/day.

Updating inventory amounts and sales rate data advantageously providesthe vending machine with updated market data (e.g., supply and demanddata) that can be fruitfully exploited in subsequent executions of theprocesses of various embodiments. In other words, such updated inventoryamounts and sales rates can be referenced subsequently by the vendingmachine control system in subsequently making definitions of inventorygroup (see Steps 100 and 200, supra).

D. Reactive Inventory Grouping

In “reactive inventory grouping” embodiments, a customer is offered theability to purchase a combination of products for a single price byselecting a first product from a first group of inventoried products,and then picking a second product from a second inventory group which isrevealed to the customer only after the first product is selected.

Such an embodiment can be desirable because it can provide customerswith an entertaining way of interacting with a vending machine. In otherwords, because in this embodiment the second inventory group is notrevealed to the customer until a first product is selected, customersmay experience feelings of hopeful anticipation until such a secondinventory group is revealed. This feeling may be analogous to theexcitement and exhilaration some customers receive when gambling orplaying a chance-based game.

Thus, in some embodiments, game-themed messages may be output throughthe one or more output devices prior to the revealing of the secondinventory group, thereby incorporating a game-like feel into thecustomers experience with the vending machine. In other words, in somereactive inventory grouping embodiments, output devices may beconfigured to output game-themed animations, such as spinning slotmachine reels, roulette wheels, or the like, before a second inventorygroup is revealed to the customer. Accordingly, such machines canpresent customers with the appearance that a (randomly determined)resolution or outcome of a game determines the products which the secondinventory group includes. In this manner, the second inventory group maybe presented as a “prize showcase” from which customers may select aprize. Additional and alternate game-themed messages and means forcommunicating such messages to a customer of a vending machine aredescribed with reference to Applicant's U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.60/527,899, entitled PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FOR PROMOTIONS WHICH EMPLOYA VENDING MACHINE, filed Dec. 8, 2003 in the name of Walker et al., theentirety of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

Further, in some embodiments, reactive inventory grouping may be lesscomputationally intensive or otherwise require less computing resourcesthan, e.g., certain types of proactive inventory grouping, andaccordingly can be more desirable to some vending machine operators(particularly in certain hardware environments).

A description of FIG. 3, which provides a flow chart illustrating areactive inventory grouping process, follows.

Of course, steps performed in a reactive inventory grouping embodimentdoes not imply that those steps may only be performed in a reactiveinventory grouping embodiment.

-   -   1. Step 100: Output Package Offer

At Step 100, the operator and/or vending machine outputs a package offerto the customer regarding the availability of a package deal. Forexample, an LCD display may output a message reading “Pick 2 items for$1. Pick any item, and then a group of items will flash. Pick anyflashing item as your second item.” Alternatively, such a message may beprovided through a static means (e.g., painted or printed signage).Further still, such an offer may be transmitted to a customer's device,such as a cell phone, PDA, personal computer, or the like.

-   -   2. Step 200: Receive Customer Selection of First Product from        First Inventory Group

At Step 200, the operator, vending machine control system and/orcomputer associated therewith (e.g., a server computer) receives, viaone or more input devices, a signal indicating a customer's selection ofa first product, and that product is determined to be included in afirst inventory group. In some embodiments, this step may be accompaniedor preceded by payment processing steps, including the receipt ofcurrency or an account identifier (e.g., an alphanumeric code; abiometric identifier such as a fingerprint).

According to some embodiments, the selection of a product by a customermay be determined to not be included in the requisite inventory group.If so, then subsequent steps of the instant process might not beperformed. Alternatively or additionally, if the first requested productis not within an inventory group, an operator, vending machine controlsystem and/or computer associated therewith may (1) proceed to process atransaction in a conventional manner, (2) output an error message (e.g.,informing the customer that the selected produce is not within a firstinventory group), and/or (3) output a message encouraging the customerto select a product from the first inventory group.

According to one embodiment, the first inventory group may comprise allinventoried products. Thus, according to such an embodiment, a customermay select any product in inventory as the first product. Thus, in atleast one embodiment, the product selected might make no difference asto which products are included in the second inventory group.

However, according to another embodiment, the first inventory group maynot include all products in inventory. In one embodiment, such a subsetmay be predetermined (e.g., defined by an operator and/or stored in amemory accessible to the vending machine control system). In anotherembodiment, the first inventory group may be determined (e.g.,dynamically) to include products according to sale and/or cost datapertaining to a period (e.g., such as a sales period or a period of timebeginning before a current sales period. Alternatively or additionally,in one or more embodiments, the first inventory group may be determinedaccording to stored rules or other logic mechanisms. Thus, for example,stored rules may provide that only those products selling at or lessthan a particular actual sales rate are to be included in the firstinventory group. In this manner, the vending machine may be programmedto promote certain products in package promotions.

-   -   3. Step 300: Determine Second Inventory Group Based on Selection        of First Product

At Step 300, an operator, vending machine and/or computer associatedtherewith defines a second inventory group based, in whole or part, onthe customer's selection of a first product. In some embodiments, thevending machine employs one or more rules (e.g., stored package offerrules) to determine which products are potentially eligible to beincluded in the second inventory group based on the first product (whichwas selected by the customer). For example, a package offer rule mayprovide that products from competing manufacturers cannot be purchasedtogether pursuant to a package offer. Accordingly, the second inventorygroup would not include products which are manufactured by competitorsof the manufacturer of the first, selected product. Alternatively oradditionally, another package offer rule may provide that the secondinventory group includes only products from categories that are“complementary” to the category of the first product. For example, if acustomer were to select a beverage as his first product, the vendingmachine second group may only include products from the snack and gumcategories.

Further, a package offer rule may provide that, if the first selectedproduct's actual sales rate is above a certain threshold, only productsselling at or less than a predetermined actual sales rate are to beincluded in the second inventory group. In this manner, vending machinesaccording to various embodiments may exploit the popularity of awell-selling product to promote the sale of (relatively) less popularproducts.

Conversely, a package offer rule may provide that, if the first selectedproduct's actual sales rate is below a certain threshold, only productsselling above a predetermined actual sales rate are to be included inthe second inventory group. In this manner, vending machines accordingto various embodiments may prompt customers to choose a less popularproduct in the hopes of a good deal on a more popular product, with anapparent element of chance involved.

Alternatively or additionally, a value rating of the first selectedproduct and/or a value rating of each possible second product may beconsidered, as described above. For example, the vending machine controlsystem may determine the value rating of one or more products anddetermine, based on stored rules, that only the five products having thehighest value ratings may be included in the second inventory group. Asin the case of the above-described proactive inventory groupingembodiments, the value rating of each possible second product may bedetermined by considering one or more of (i) the time remaining until arestock date, (ii) the time remaining until an expiration date of aproduct or products, (iii) an actual sales rate of a product orproducts, (iv) a target or ideal sales rate of a product or products,(v) the fixed cost of a product or products, (vi) the variable cost of aproduct or products; (vii) the retail price of an individual unit of aproduct or products, (viii) the profit margin of a product or productsat a given sale price such as a retail price, (ix) the profit margin ofa package instance comprising a given combination of products, (x) thehistorical acceptance rate of a package instance comprising a givencombination of products, (xi) one or more products' income or profitcontribution factor(s) (e.g., measures of one or more products' historicsuccess in the marketplace), (xii) the availability to an operator viawholesale markets of one or more products; (xiii) the number of units ofa product or products in the inventory of one or more vending machines;(xiv) the number of units of a product or products in the inventory ofan operator (e.g., in a warehouse; on a delivery truck); (xv) the amountof or degree to which coupons, discounts (e.g., volume discounts),rebates, trade credits or other incentives are available to vendingmachine operators and/or customers from product suppliers; and/or (xvi)any other consideration.

In an embodiment, the second inventory group may determined before thecustomer selects the first product, but the second inventory group isonly revealed or communicated to the customer after the first product isselected.

In an embodiment, a plurality of second inventory groups may bedetermined. Thus, selection of a product included in any one or more ofthe second inventory groups would be acceptable. Further still,depending on which of the second groups the second selected products isincluded in, different actions may be taken (e.g., awarding bonusproducts or credits, providing entertaining displays or sounds). Thus anentertaining set of interactions can result from differentiating betweenacceptable second selections.

-   -   4. Step 400: Output Indication of Second Inventory Group to        Customer Via Output Device(s)

After the second inventory group is determined, an indication of theproducts included in the second inventory group is output at Step 400 tothe customer, for example, via one or more output devices of one or morevending machines or other devices. For example, LEDs located proximatelyto the products may illuminate or flash. Alternatively or additionally,an LCD may output graphical icons representing the qualifying productsincluded in the second inventory group. Futher still, an indication ofthe second inventory group may be transmitted to a customer's device,such as a cell phone, PDA, personal computer, or the like.

-   -   5. Step 500: Determine Whether Customer Selected Second Product        from Second Inventory Group and Process Transaction Accordingly

At Step 500, it is determined whether the customer selected the secondproduct from the second inventory group. If the customer has selected asecond product from the second inventory group by, for example,transmitting a signal to the vending machine processor via an inputdevice such as a keypad, then the vending machine processor may actuateproduct dispensing apparatus to dispense units of the first and secondselected products. (Alternatively, the vending machine control systemmay dispense a unit of the first product upon its selection at Step 200,and dispense a unit of the second product at Step 500 once it has beendetermined that the customer has selected a product from the secondinventory group.)

In some embodiments, this step may be accompanied by payment processingsteps, such as the receipt of payment (and/or payment identifiers, suchas account identifiers) and the dispensing of appropriate change (e.g.,based on the difference between any payment tendered and the packageprice). It should be noted that such an embodiment would allow customersto select first products before depositing any currency, and then seewhich products are available as second products before committing topurchase any products whatsoever. In this manner, any anxiety caused tocustomers by virtue of the uncertain composition of the second inventorygroup can be reduced or eliminated.

In some embodiments, if the customer has selected a product that is notincluded within the second inventory group, an operator, vending machinecontrol system and/or computer associated therewith may (1) proceed toprocess a transaction in a conventional manner, (2) output an errormessage (e.g., informing the customer that the selected product is notwithin the second inventory group), and/or (3) output a messageencouraging the customer to select a product from the second inventorygroup. For example, an LCD may output a message that reads “Sorry, butthe item you have selected is not eligible for the package deal. Pleaseselect a flashing item to continue or press “no thanks” to purchase yourfirst selection at its retail price.”

In some embodiments, the vending machine control system may beconfigured to monitor the time starting, e.g., with a customer's initialselection of a first product. If the customer does not select a secondproduct within a predetermined period of time, the vending machine maybe configured to, e.g., consummate a transaction for the first productat its retail price, thereby assuming that the customer does not wish toselect a second product from the second inventory group and accept apackage offer.

Alternatively, at the end of such a predetermined period of time, thevending machine may automatically select and dispense a second product(e.g., a second product selected according to stored rules), and therebycomplete a transaction at a package price. For example, stored rules mayprovide that the product in the second inventory group with thehighest/lowest margin is automatically dispensed if no second product isselected within the predetermined period of time. Alternatively, storedrules may provide that the most/least popular product in the secondinventory group (e.g., as indicated by its actual sales rate) isautomatically dispensed if no second product is selected within thepredetermined period of time. Thus, stored rules for determining theautomatic selection of a second product may consider a value rating ofone or more products.

If any products are dispensed at Step 500 (or earlier in the process,according to some embodiments), the vending machine may, as describedabove, record results of the transaction in a database or similar memorystructure (e.g., update inventory records).

V. Alternate and Additional Embodiments

A. Alternate Proactive Inventory Grouping—Expected Profitability ofPossible “Allocations” Considered

In another proactive inventory grouping embodiment, products areallocated to inventory groups based on the expected or predictedprofitability of each possible “inventory allocation”. In other words,unlike the previously-described embodiments in which there are apredetermined or fixed number of product “slots” in each inventory group(e.g., per a stored rule), this embodiment allows allocation of productsto inventory groups by evaluating the expected profitability of eachpossible allocation of products (e.g., to at least two inventorygroups).

For example, in a vending machine configured to sell four products(e.g., products A, B, C D) in package deals from two inventory groups(e.g., red and green), in which all products are allocated to exactlyone inventory group and an inventory group must contain at least oneproduct, there are fourteen possible inventory allocations, asillustrated by the table immediately below:

TABLE 10 Allocations Allocation Products in Red Group Products in GreenGroup 1 A B, C, D 2 A, B C, D 3 A, C B, D 4 A, D B, C 5 A, B, C D 6 A,B, D C 7 A, C, D B 8 B A, C, D 9 B, C A, D 10 B, D A, C 11 B, C, D A 12C A, B, D 13 C, D A, B 14 D A, B, C

As stated, the expected profitability of each possible allocation wouldbe determined. Then, the operator, vending machine control system and/orcomputer associated therewith would select the possible allocation withthe highest expected profitability, and communicate a package offeraccordingly. For example, if it was determined that Allocation 14 (inwhich product D is in the red inventory group and products A, B and Care in the green inventory group) is expected to be the most profitable,the vending machine may flash LEDs proximately located to each of thecorresponding products in the appropriate colors to indicate thatallocation of products to the two inventory groups.

There are many ways that the expected profitability of an allocation maybe determined. In one or more embodiments, the expected profitability ofan allocation may be determined with reference to value ratings of oneor more component products in the allocation.

According to one embodiment, the expected profitability of a givenallocation may be determined by summing the expected profitabilities ofeach possible combination instance within that particular allocation.Thus, in the allocation in which product D is in the red inventory groupand products A, B and C are in the green inventory group, the expectedprofitability for the instances “D with A”, “D with B”, and “D with C”would be individually determined and then added together to determinethe total expected profitability of the allocation. Further still, inone or more embodiments, such a sum may be divided by the number ofpossible instances in the allocation (here, four), to determine anexpected profitability for the allocation.

To determine the expected profitability of each instance within a givenallocation, a variety of techniques may be employed. According to oneembodiment, the expected profitability of a given instance is determinedby multiplying the probability that the instance will be accepted withina given period (e.g., within 24 hours) by the margin of the packageinstance (e.g., the package price less the cost of the componentproducts). In such an embodiment, the probability that a given instancewill be selected may be determined based on a stored (i.e. historic),received or calculated “acceptance rate” for the instance.

B. Multiple Package Offers in Proactive Inventory Grouping

In some proactive inventory grouping embodiments, vending machinesand/or computers associated therewith may be configured tosimultaneously (or substantially simultaneously) output a plurality ofpackage offers. Thus, after inventory groups are defined, the vendingmachine may output package offers that apply to the inventory groups.For example, for particular inventory groups, an offer may providecustomers with the ability to choose which of the following to purchase:

(a) two products for a first inventory group for a first package price(e.g., two products from the “green” inventory group for $1.50),

(b) one product from a first inventory group and one product from asecond inventory group for a second package price (e.g., one productfrom the green inventory group and one product from the red inventorygroup for $1.25), or

(c) two products from a second inventory group for a third package price(e.g., two products from the red inventory group for $1.00).

Any number of offers may be output simultaneously or substantiallysimultaneously.

In an embodiment, offers are not output simultaneously, but are insteadtriggered by an event. For example, a single offer may be output after acustomer provides payment (e.g., inserts currency). If the customer doesnot select any product within a certain amount of time (e.g., within 20seconds of inserting currency, within 20 seconds of the offer beingprovided) then additional offers may be provided. In such an embodiment,the initial offer may be the most profitable but possibly less desirableto the typical customer (e.g., a relatively high package price, highmargin component products), and subsequent offers may be lessprofitable, but more desirable to the customer (e.g., a relatively lowpackage price, low margin component products)

In an embodiment, different sets of offers may be output at differenttimes, according to various desirable factors described herein.

C. Targeted, Customized or Substantially Distinct Package Offers

In some embodiments, vending machines and/or computers associatedtherewith may be configured to output a plurality of package offers todifferent customers, so that certain customers or groups of customersreceive package offers that are different than package offers providedto other customers. Customers may be uniquely identified (so thatpackage offer eligibility may be determined) through the presentation ofaccount identifiers (e.g., subscription account identifiers, credit cardnumbers, etc.), biometric identifiers (e.g., finger prints), or anyother unique or substantially unique identifier (e.g., Social Securitynumbers, etc.).

In one or more embodiments, customers who may be identified throughcertain account identifiers (e.g., alphanumeric codes, biometricidentifiers, etc.) may be offered package offers that differ from (e.g.,are more valuable than) those package offers offered to customers whohave not yet registered for such accounts, such as those customers whomay pay with cash or other traditional means (e.g., credit cards). Suchan embodiment may function to encourage such unregistered customers toestablish certain types of accounts (e.g., prepaid unit or“subscription” accounts, as described herein).

Moreover, in one or more embodiments, different package offers may beoutput to account holders based on stored preferences or rules that theaccount holder or other person/entity (e.g., an operator, a productmanufacturer, a beverage bottler/distributer) may have previouslyregistered at a vending machine or through a computer or deviceassociated therewith. For example, a stored preference rule may providethat a given customer does not wish to receive package offers comprisingproducts containing peanuts, as the customer is allergic to peanuts.Accordingly, an operator, vending machine control system and/or computerassociated therewith may consider such a rule when identifying a packageoffer, so that products containing peanuts are not included in anypackage offers provided to that particular customer. By way of anotherexample, an operator may wish to reward certain account holders withfavorable package offers, and so may register a rule which provides thataccount holders who redeem more than eight units of product within anythree week period are to receive package offers whereby such qualifyingaccount holders can receive any two products from a first inventorygroup and any one product from a second inventory group for the packageprice of one dollar. Apparatus, systems and methods for managing theregistration and administration of account-based preferences and rulesassociated with prepaid unit or “subscription” accounts are describedmore fully with reference to Applicant's U.S. Patent Application No.60/668,405, entitled PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FOR ESTABLISHINGMULTI-TRANSACTION RELATIONSHIPS WITH CUSTOMERS OF VENDING MACHINES,filed on Apr. 5, 2005, in the name of Walker et al.

Further still, in one or more embodiments, different package offers maybe output to account holders based on prior transactional activity, suchas purchase or consumption patterns. Thus, in one or more embodiments,an operator, a vending machine control system and/or a computerassociated therewith may record transactional activity of one or morecustomers in a database. Again, customers may be uniquely identified (sothat transactional activity may be recorded and subsequently referenced)through the presentation of account identifiers (e.g., subscriptionaccount identifiers, credit card numbers, etc.), biometric identifiers(e.g., finger prints), or any other unique or substantially uniqueidentifier (e.g., Social Security numbers, etc.). In one exampleembodiment, the redemption patterns of identifiable customers arerecorded, so that package offers comprising products not typicallypurchased or redeemed by such account holders may be offered. Such anembodiment may be useful to operators and product manufacturers as a wayto encourage customers to try new products, and to avoid the potentialfor dilutionary promotions.

Alternatively, the prior transactional activity of individual customersmay be used to present or suggest items to customers that the customersusually purchase or select. For example, a customer who usually selectsProduct A from a first inventory group and Product B from a secondinventory group may be shown or suggested (e.g., on a touch screen) thepackage instance of Product A with Product B, so that the customer mayeasily and quickly select the suggested package instance, which maycomprise the customer's “usual” snack. Alternatively or additionally,customers may record preferences (e.g., through a web site associatedwith the vending machine and/or operator) so that specific packageinstances are suggested to customers at participating vending machines.

D. Alternative/Additional Ways to determine and Present Package Offers

Many alternate or additional methods or formats for determining and/orcommunicating package offers are contemplated.

In one or more embodiments, a list of specific package instances couldbe output to customers via an output device, rather than (or in additionto) indicating the inventory grouping status of different products. Forexample, rather than merely outputting an offer that instructsprospective customers to select any “red” and any “green” product for$1, a vending machine may alternatively or additionally group certainpackage instances of “red” and “green” products and communicate theinstances via an LCD display. Following the ongoing example from theabove description of proactive inventory grouping embodiments (in whichDiet Coke®, Doritos®, and Cheetos® were allocated to the red inventorygroup and Dentyne®, Cheetos®, Double-Mint® and Juicy Fruit® wereallocated to the green inventory group), an LCD may output an offervisually representing a package instance comprising Diet Coke® withDentyne®. Thus, rather than communicating all possible instances, only acertain number of instances may be shown through an LCD display (e.g.,those with the highest or lowest historic acceptance rates; those withthe highest margin). Further, package instances may be communicatedthrough similarly colored LEDs. For example, a particular packageinstance comprising Diet Coke® and Dentyne® may be communicated byilluminating purple LEDs next to both Diet Coke® and Dentyne®,indicating that the products together comprise a single packageinstance.

In one or more embodiments, customers may be offered the ability topurchase, for a package price, any combination of products provided thetotal of the products' individual retail prices is less than, equal toor greater than a certain sum. For example, customers may be offered theability to purchase, for a $1 package price, any two products having acombined retail price of $1.30.

Similarly, customers may be offered the ability to purchase any producthaving a first retail price (e.g., $0.85) and any product having asecond retail price (e.g., $0.25) for a single package price (e.g.,$1.00).

Further, in one or more embodiments, certain (but not necessarily all)products that an inventory group includes may be given a visualpreference (e.g., some red LEDs may flash at faster intervals than otherred LEDs; some red LEDs may be illuminated brighter than other red LEDs,etc.). Thus, particular products included in an inventory group may beemphasized or promoted over other products in the same inventory group.For example, products in an inventory group having a higher value ratingmay be indicated by brighter LED displays than products in thatinventory group having a lower value rating. Alternatively, productsthat are selling at sales rates below a certain threshold may beindicated by brighter LED displays than products that are selling atsales rates above the threshold. This embodiment would help draw greatercustomer attention to products that are selling relatively poorly.

In yet another one or more alternate embodiments, inventory groups arenot dynamically determined (e.g., as in certain proactive or reactiveinventory grouping embodiments), but are rather determined according tostored rules and/or circuitry that govern which products may togethercomprise packages and which may not. In one or more embodiments, storedrules are generated, identified or configured by an operator and/or acomputer prior to storage. In one or more embodiments, stored rulesand/or circuitry may have been generated, identified or configuredpursuant to one or more embodiments for determining a package offerand/or identifying inventory groups as described herein, includingherein-described embodiments for identifying package offers and/orinventory groups according to value ratings of one or more products(e.g., where such value ratings may comprise cost, pricing and/or marginattributes of one or more products). Generated rules may be stored inany type of memory accessible to a vending machine control system (e.g.,a processor, an application-specific integrated circuit). Alternativelyor additionally, generated rules may be manifest in a software programor hardwired circuitry (e.g., an application-specific integratedcircuit).

In one example of an embodiment featuring stored rules and/or hardwiredcircuitry, a vending machine may be configured to allow a customer topick a certain number of products (e.g., three products) for a singlepackage price (e.g., $1.00), provided that no two products are from thesame column (e.g., the same shelf or row) of the vending machine. Thus,package offers may be communicated through indicia such as fixed signsor other advertising on or around the shelves or the vending machine. Insuch embodiments, upon selection of a first product, a vending machinemay prevent the selection and dispensing of certain products (e.g.,products from the same shelf, row or category) as second products.Alternatively, an error message, warning or other indication may beprovided to the customer, and the customer allowed to select anotherproduct. Moreover, in some embodiments, upon receipt of a signal (e.g.,from a keypad) potentially indicating that a customer may like to availherself of a package offer, the vending machine may await selection oftwo or more products (e.g., before processing a sale) so that it maydetermine if the selected products qualify for a package price inaccordance with the stored rules and/or hardwired circuitry.

In another example of an embodiment featuring stored rules and/orhardwired circuitry, a vending machine may be configured to recognizeand sell certain, specific package instances for certain package prices.Thus, an operator and/or computer may configure a vending machine tosell items A1 and B1 for the package price of $1.00; items A1 and C1 forthe package price of $1.00; and items A1 and D1 for the package price of$1.25. Thus, upon a selection of a first product, a vending machinecontrol system (e.g., a processor; an application-specific integratedcircuit) may determine whether or not it should await the customer'spotential selection of a second product that may, together with thefirst product, comprise a package instance eligible for a package price,in which case the vending machine would process a sale for the two itemsat the package price. Alternatively or additionally, upon receipt of asignal (e.g., from a keypad) indicating that a customer would like toavail herself of a package offer, the vending machine control system mayawait selection of two or more products (e.g., before processing a sale)so that it may compare the selected products to the one or more specificpackage instances registered by an operator and/or computer in order todetermine if the selected products qualify for a package price.

E. Multi-Machine and Cross-Machine Promotions

As stated, various embodiments can be configured to work in conjunctionwith two or more vending machines. Thus, according to some embodiments,pursuant to a package offer, customers may purchase two or more productsfor a single price, and may select and/or retrieve products from two ormore vending machines.

Thus, a customer may view the inventory of two machines (which may beproximately-located), and may accept an offer output from a firstmachine or output from a peripheral device. The peripheral device may bestand-alone (housed in an independent casing or body) or integrated withone or more of the vending machines. The peripheral device maycommunicate with one or more of the vending machines (including controlsystems and peripherals thereof) and/or remote computers in any of anumber of well-known manners.

In one or more embodiments, the vending machine or peripheral device mayoutput a code, password, PIN, receipt or other substantially uniqueidentifier to the customer. This identifier may be redeemed at aparticipating vending machine, allowing the customer to retrieveproducts from one or more of the participating machines.

For example, after an operator, vending machine and/or computerassociated therewith allocates inventoried products to at least twoinventory groups spanning at least two machines (e.g., using theabove-disclosed methods), a first vending machine or a peripheral devicemay output an offer reading “2 for $1! Select any item from this machineAND any item from the adjoining machine for $1.” A customer may then,after seeing the inventoried products (e.g., through the glass frontpanels of the adjacently placed vending machines), decide to accept thepackage offer and deposit $1 into the first machine. The customer maythen select a first product from the first vending machine, and thefirst vending machine may then output a (substantially-unique) bar codeon a piece of paper (e.g., printed by an on-board printer, preprintedstock dispensed by a dispensing device). The customer could then beinstructed, through the first vending machine's output device, to insertthe piece of paper into a reader (e.g., coupon reader, ticket reader,bill acceptor, card reader, bar code reader) which is attached to or incommunication with the second machine when the customer is ready toselect his second product. Upon presenting the piece of paper (e.g.,into the card reader), the second vending machine's processor wouldvalidate the code by querying either a local database (e.g., ofpreviously agreed-upon codes or codes generated according to apredetermined methodology) or a remote database (e.g., of codes createdand/or stored by the first machine and/or a remote computer).Alternatively, the second machine and/or computer associated therewithmay apply a predetermined mathematical algorithm to the code todetermine if it is a validly issued code. For example, the secondmachine and/or computer associated therewith may apply a checksum to thecode. Alternatively or additionally, the second machine and/or computerassociated therewith may determine whether or not the received code isdivisible by a certain number (e.g., 3). Upon validation of the code,the second machine may permit the user to select a product pursuant tothe terms of the package offer.

In one or more multi-machine embodiments wherein package offers and/orinventory groups are dynamically determined by one or more of anoperator, a vending machine and/or a remote computer, the second vendingmachine may, upon a customer's presentation of the piece of paper,present to the customer the same inventory group as originallyadvertised at the time of the offer. Thus, the customer may return toselect his second product at a later time (even after the second vendingmachines inventory has been reallocated to new inventory groupings), andthe second vending machine could revert back to or recall the previousinventory grouping in effect at the time of the offer. This would allowthe customer to select from the options that were originally presentedto him (e.g., the products that were previously flashing in red arereturned to red status upon presentment of the bar code identifier).

In one or more multi-machine embodiments, rather than a paper tokenbeing issued by a first machine or a peripheral device, a code may bedownloaded to a device operated by a customer, or otherwise madeaccessible to a customer (e.g., output through an LCD display). Forexample, customer may download a code to a cellular telephone, a PDA, aniPod or other personal music storage/playback device, a watch and/or apersonal computer. Subsequent to receiving the code, the customer maypresent the code to an input device of a second (e.g., adjacent) vendingmachine and/or a computer associated therewith. For example, thecustomer may enter the code into a keypad or touch screen of the secondvending machine and/or a computer associated therewith. Alternatively oradditionally, the customer may manipulate a personal device (e.g., acell phone, PDA, etc.) so that a code previously received from a firstmachine or computer is transmitted by the device to the second vendingmachine and/or computer associated therewith. Such data transmission maytake place through any medium or protocol known, including any wirelessmedium or protocol (e.g., radio frequency, optically-scanned bar codemethodologies, etc.). The second vending machine and/or computer may,upon receipt of a code, proceed to validate the code by, for example,querying either a local database (e.g., of previously agreed-upon codesor codes generated according to a predetermined methodology) or a remotedatabase (e.g., of codes created and/or stored by the first machineand/or a remote computer). Alternatively, the second machine and/orcomputer associated therewith may apply a predetermined mathematicalalgorithm to the code to determine if it is a validly issued code. Forexample, the second machine and/or computer associated therewith mayapply a checksum to the code. Alternatively or additionally, the secondmachine and/or computer associated therewith may determine whether ornot the received code is divisible by a certain number (e.g., 3). Uponvalidation of the code, the second machine may permit the user to selecta product pursuant to the terms of the package offer.

In one or more multi-machine embodiments, codes issued from a firstvending machine to a customer pursuant to a package offer may beassociated with an expiration time and/or date. Thus, upon presentationof the code by a customer to a second vending machine and/or computerassociated therewith, the second vending machine and/or computerassociated therewith may determine whether or not the code has expired,and if so, deny the customer the ability to receive a product from thesecond vending machine pursuant to a package offer. In some embodiments,codes may include expiration time and/or date data, so that a vendingmachine and/or computer associated therewith can readily determine theexpiration status of the code. In other embodiments, codes may serve asa reference to associated expiration time and/or date data, which may beretrieved from a local or remote database.

It may be beneficial in one or more embodiments to associate codes withexpiration times and/or dates that are somewhat near in time relative tothe issuance of the codes (e.g., so that codes expire within 10 minutesof issuance from a first machine). By having codes expire somewhatquickly, any dilutionary effects of a package promotion can bemitigated. Specifically, by requiring customers to accept delivery ofall products included in a package offer within a certain, narrow timeframe, customers are prevented from redeeming component products at alater time, when they may quite possibly make another purchase (e.g.,when they are hungry or thirsty again). That is, while broad expirationwindows may create the potential for displacement of future purchases,narrow expiration windows may not. Indeed, in one or more embodiments, agenetic algorithm is employed to determine a beneficial or substantiallyoptimal expiration period (e.g., from a revenue or profit standpoint)for codes issued by a first machine. For example, a computer associatedwith the first and second vending machines may determine that revenuepotential is greater when expiration periods are set to 20 minutesrather than 30 minutes, and may accordingly instruct the first machineto issue codes that expire within 20 minutes of issuance.

In one example multi-machine embodiment, pursuant to a package offer, afirst machine is configured to, upon receipt of payment and/or selectionof one or more products by a customer, dispense (i) any selectedproducts and (ii) a code (e.g., printed on a paper substrate). In suchan embodiment, a second (e.g., adjacently placed) vending machine isconfigured to, upon receipt of the code through an input device orpayment processing means (e.g., a bill validator), validate the code(e.g., as described herein). Upon validation of the code, the secondvending machine may register or authorize a monetary credit balance(e.g., $0.50) so that the customer may select any item or items from thesecond machine so long as the total of the selected items' retail pricesis less than or equal to the monetary credit balance. In such anembodiment, an operator or other entity may print signage that spans thewidth of both adjacently placed machines, where the signage promotes theavailability of package offers.

F. Display of Retail Prices

In an embodiment, retail prices are not automatically communicated byoutput devices to customers. Instead, a customer must affirmativelyinquire as to the retail price of a particular product. In this manner,package offers are emphasized, especially in embodiments where they areactively promoted by the vending machine's output devices. However, inother embodiments, the retail prices of the individual products may becommunicated contemporaneously or substantially contemporaneously withthe presentation of package offers. Such display of both individualproducts' retail prices and package prices may indeed function topromote package offers over individual unit retail sales as customersmay be able to readily ascertain the savings that may result throughpackage offers.

In an embodiment, customers may be permitted or required to selectbetween various modes, such as “retail” and “package” modes, beforetransacting with the vending machine. That is, before selecting andpurchasing any products, a customer may press a button on a touch screenor otherwise indicate whether the customer would like to (1) purchase apackage (e.g., two products for $1.00), or (2) purchase one product forthat product's retail price.

In an embodiment, retail prices are not shown to customers at all.Rather, only package offers and package prices pursuant to packageoffers may be communicated to customers.

In another embodiment, retail prices are shown to a customer, but theunderlying products are not for sale individually. Rather, theunderlying products may only be purchased pursuant to a package offer,as described herein.

G. Preservation of Inventory Allocations for Particular Customers

In one or more embodiments, a customer may request that a particularpackage offer and/or inventory group allocation be preserved for him foracceptance and/or redemption at a later time. For example, a customermay notice at 9:00AM that Product A is allocated to a first inventorygroup and Product B is allocated to a second inventory group. Thecustomer, having no payment means readily available to him, may requestthat the vending machine print a ticket or “rain check” that would laterentitle him to select products from the same inventory groups as shownat 9:00AM. An expiration date/time may be associated with such a ticketor rain check. After the customer leaves the vicinity of the vendingmachine, the vending machine, operator and/or computer associatedtherewith may (e.g., at 9:30AM) dynamically reallocate inventory to thetwo or more inventory groups. The customer may later return to themachine (e.g., within the expiration period), for example, once thecustomer has obtained cash to pay for the items. Upon presentation ofthe ticket or rain check (e.g., into a bill validator of the vendingmachine), the vending machine may “revert back” to the inventoryallocation state presented to the customer at 9:00AM. Of course, othermeans of identifying customers so that particular inventory allocationsmay be preserved for such customers may be used, including but notlimited to account identifiers, biometrics, etc. Further still, in someembodiments, customers may preserve particular inventory allocationsremotely, e.g., through a cellular phone, a personal computer (e.g., viaemail), or the like.

H. Opt Out of Inventory Groups for a Premium

In an embodiment, customers may be offered the option to pay a premiumso that they can purchase two or more products from the same inventorygroup, rather than one from each. For example, a message on a vendingmachine's touch screen might read: Want two red items? Add $0.25.″ Inessence, such an embodiment would give the customer the ability to buythemselves out of the predefined inventory groups and would therebyensure that customers are given more choice.

In yet another embodiments, customers may be offered the option toperform a task or accept an additional offer (e.g., from a third party)in order to purchase two or more products from the same inventory group.For example, a customer who wishes to select two items from a singleinventory group may be offered the option of receiving the desired itemsif the customer (i) answers survey questions (e.g., presented throughthe vending machine's touch screen or through the customer's cellphone), (ii) provides his or her email address, and/or (iii) registersfor or otherwise opens an account (e.g., a prepaid unit or“subscription” account). Systems and methods for administering a surveyat a vending machine and providing products as compensation forparticipation in such surveys are provided with reference to Applicant'sU.S. Patent Nos. 6,161,059, 6,317,649, and 6,658,323, which share thetitle VENDING MACHINE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATIONIN A MARKETING EFFORT, the entirety of each of which is incorporated byreference herein for all purposes. Or, a customer who wishes to selecttwo items from a particular inventory group may be offered the option ofreceiving the desired items if the customer agrees to purchase a 1 yearsubscription to Sports Illustrated® magazine. Systems and methods forproviding benefits to a customer of a vending machine in exchange forthe customer's acceptance of an offer from a third party are providedwith reference to Applicant's co-pending U.S. Patent Application No.60/568,057, entitled PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FOR PROVIDING OFFERS FORPRODUCTS DISPENSED FROM A DISPENSING DEVICE, filed May 4, 2004, theentirety of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

I. Periodic Random Allocation of Products to Inventory Groups

In an embodiment, one or more products are selected at random andallocated to inventory groups (periodically, after each transaction, atrandom times). This embodiment would tend to keep the inventory groupsnew and exciting for vending machines with many repeat customers (e.g.,vending machines in office buildings). In such an environment, customersmay tend to purchase the same products repeatedly. This embodiment thusmay positively influence repetitive inventory grouping/allocationpatterns by encouraging or indeed requiring customers to try newproducts.

J. Customers Offered Choice Between One or Two Products; ConfirmationScreens

In an embodiment, vending machine transactions are limited to a certainprice, and customers are given a choice between one higher priceproduct, and two or more products from two or more inventory groups. Forexample, transactions may be limited to purchases of $1.25 and for $1.25customers may purchase either (1) one (large) bottle of soda, or (2) two(small) cans of soda. Further, in an embodiment, vending machines may beconfigured to output “confirmation screens” in response to a customer'sselection so that a customer must confirm her selection through an inputdevice (e.g., a button) before such selections are accepted and thetransactions are consummated.

K. Value-Back “Bonuses”

In an embodiment, customers who select two (or more) products as part ofa given single-price package offer (e.g., two products for $5) may beoffered a “bonus” (e.g., a third product) upon certain conditions (e.g.,if certain rules are satisfied). Thus, in some embodiments, whencustomers select two (or more) products that together represent morethan a threshold amount of realizable profit for the machine, suchcustomers are offered a bonus that may be valued at an amount equal to,less than, or greater than the amount of additional realizable profitbeyond the threshold amount. For example, if a customer selects twoproducts from an inventory group typically associated with high-marginproducts, the machine may “give value back” to the customer in the formof a bonus, in order to bolster the goodwill with the customer andhopefully spur future transactions with the customer and favorablerecommendations by the customer. Such an embodiment would workparticularly well in situations in which a customer selects two productsthat having retail prices that, when aggregated, are less than thesingle package price. Thus, the vending machine would not take advantageof the customer's failure to realize the markup.

Bonuses may take many forms, including: (1) printed vouchers or ticketsentitling customers to discounts (e.g., for the amount that surpassesthe threshold amount) or free products from one or more vending machinesin the future; (2) instant cash rebates (e.g., for the amount thatsurpasses the threshold amount; such amounts may be dispensed throughchange dispensing apparatus), and (3) extra product(s) (e.g., productswhich are valued at approximately the amount that surpasses thethreshold amount) from the same vending machine or other vendingmachines.

In an embodiment, where appropriate (e.g., where one or more rules aresatisfied, are not satisfied), bonuses may be selected by the customer.For example, the vending machine may output a message to the customerindicating that the customer may “select any additional ‘red’ flashingproduct”, and the customers selection of a red product causes a unit ofthe red product to be dispensed. Further, a time limit may be imposed sothat if the customer does not so select an appropriate product within athreshold amount of time (e.g., two minutes after the offer ispresented), the vending machine may automatically issue a cash rebate,or provide no bonus.

In an embodiment, where appropriate (e.g., where one or more rules aresatisfied, are not satisfied), bonuses may be communicated to customersthrough game-themed content or interface. For example, utilizing a“Price is Right®” game theme, customers may be given the opportunity to“spin” a “value wheel” for a bonus product by pressing a button on atouch screen. Once the customer has pressed the button, a wheel icon maybe displayed as spinning on the touch screen, ultimately stopping on anindication of a bonus to be awarded (e.g., a particular product). Manyother game themes are contemplated, including “Wheel of Fortune®”.Additional and alternate game-themed messages and means forcommunicating such messages to a customer of a vending machine aredescribed with reference to Applicant's U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.60/527,899, entitled PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FOR PROMOTIONS WHICH EMPLOYA VENDING MACHINE, filed Dec. 8, 2003 in the name of Walker et al., theentirety of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

L. Transaction Status Messages/Screens

In an embodiment in which customers are permitted to choose two or moreproducts for a single price, one or more output devices may beconfigured to communicate the status of a transaction to a customer. Forexample, after a customer selects a first product, an indication of thefirst product may be communicated to the customer via an output device(e.g., an icon of the selected first product may appear on an LCDdisplay). Further, instructions regarding the selection of a secondproduct may be communicated through such output devices. That is, aftera customer has selected a first product from a first inventory group, amessage may be output to the customer instructing the customer to selecta second product from a second inventory group. For example, afterselecting a product from a first inventory group (e.g., a product on afirst shelf; a product indicated by a “green” flashing light; anyproduct in a first machine), the customer may be instructed to pick aproduct from a second inventory group (e.g., a product on a secondshelf; a product indicated by a “red” flashing light; any product in asecond machine).

M. Package Offer Rows

In an embodiment, a vending machine may be configured to dispense two(or more) products from a particular row or other particular locationfor a single price. Thus, a row of a vending machine may be designatedas a “package offer” row, and the vending machine may be configured toconsecutively dispense, from such a row, units of two (or more) productsupon tender of a package price and selection of a corresponding rowidentifier (e.g., “A1” may correspond to a package offer row whichprovides two units of Snickers® candy bars for $1.00). Further, such“package offer” rows may be configured to prevent the dispensing ofsingle units of product for retail prices (i.e. such rows may beexclusively used for package offers).

A package offer row may be stocked with alternating types of products.For example, a Snickers® candy bar may be followed by a Milky Way® candybar, which is followed by a Snickers® candy bar, and so on. Thus,purchasing from such a package offer row can allow diverse combinationsof products (e.g., “A2” may correspond to a package offer row whichprovides one unit of Snickers® candy bar and one unit of Milky Way®candy bar for $1.00).

In such embodiments, a vending machine may be configured to dispense two(or more) products from a first row for a single price, while dispensingonly one product from a second row for a single price. Alternatively,every row in a vending machine may be configured as a “package offer”row.

N. Alternate Methods of Determining and/or Communicating InventoryGroups and/or Package Offers

Many alternative methods and rules for determining and/or communicatinginventory groups from which customers may pick one or more products arecontemplated. In one or more embodiments, inventory groups may berepresented by certain numerical values. For example, in one embodiment,a first inventory group may represent a “single item” group, whereas asecond inventory group may represent a “1.5 item” group, and yet a thirdinventory group may represent a “double item” group. The numericalvalues associated with the inventory groups may be used in determiningthe number and/or type of products that a customer may receive pursuantto a package offer. For example, if a customer is permitted to selectthree items, she may pick: (a) three from the first group, (b) two fromthe second group, or (c) one from the first group and one from the thirdgroup.

In one or more embodiments, inventory groups may be determined based onrules that do not necessarily consider revenue or profit potential.Thus, in one or more embodiments, inventory groups may be determinedbased on rules that do not necessarily or directly consider valueratings. For example, in one or more embodiments, an inventory group maybe comprised of “trial” products. For example, a certain productmanufacturer (e.g., Procter & Gamble) may wish to provide customers withfree sample-size products when they purchase other products at fullretail prices.

Further, in one or more embodiments, external events may influence thecomposition of one or more inventory groups. For example, if thetemperature changes (as determined by a sensor operatively connected toa processor), an inventory group may be altered. By way of anotherexample, if a certain sports team wins a certain game (e.g., as recordedin a database), an inventory group may be altered.

Further still, in one or more embodiments, inventory groups may bedetermined with respect to nutritional attributes of one or moreproducts. For example, in one or more “reactive” inventory groupingembodiments, the second set of products from which the customer maychoose may be determined based on the nutritional content of the firstselected product. Thus, in one reactive inventory grouping embodiment,relatively healthy options may be presented to the customer as a secondchoice should the customer initially select a perhaps unhealthy firstchoice. By way of another example, a numeric limit may be set so thatcustomer may not exceed X calories, Y grams of fat, Z carbs or Q WeightWatcher's points in a given transaction. Thus, inventory groups may beconfigured (e.g., dynamically) so that customers cannot pickcombinations of products that exceed the numeric limit(s). For example,in one “reactive” inventory grouping embodiment, if a customer is onlypermitted to receive products having a total of 300 calories, thecustomer may be shown products having 100 or less calories if sheinitially picks a product having 200 calories.

In one or more reactive inventory grouping embodiments, after a customerselects one or more items from a first inventory group pursuant to apackage offer, the second inventory group may be revealed or madeapparent to the customer through the concealing of items in the firstinventory group. For example, after a customer picks a first product,the machine may actuate (e.g., mechanically) covers located proximate toitems in the first inventory group (e.g., on each column) so that after,as a result, only items in the second inventory group may be visible toa customer and/or vendable by the machine. Or, in another embodiment, avending machine may turn off lights associated with items in the firstinventory group so that only lights associated with the second inventorygroup remain illuminated after the customer selects one or more itemsfrom the first inventory group.

In one or more embodiments, inventory groups may be communicated to acustomer's device, such as via email, SMS messaging, or otherwise.

In one or more embodiments, some or all of the specific eligible packageinstances may be communicated to customers (e.g., on a vending machine'stouch screen; on a customer's cell phone; via email or website), in lieuof or in addition to the communication of inventory group information.Such an embodiment may be a convenient, visually efficiently way tocommunicate package offer and inventory group information to customers,as it would function to show customers which specific package instancesare available pursuant to a package offer, rather than requiringcustomers to determine whether or not certain potential packagesinstances are eligible (e.g., whether certain products are in firstand/or second inventory groups).

In one or more embodiments, inventory group information is communicatedto customers (e.g., on a vending machine's touch screen; on a customer'scell phone; via email or website) in a manner such that inventory groupsand the items allocated to such inventory groups are visual separated orotherwise distinguished from other inventory groups and items allocatedthereto. Such an embodiment may be a convenient, visually efficient wayto communicate package offer and inventory group information tocustomers, as it would function to readily show customers inventorygroups from which they may select component products.

O. Redemption of Second Item at a Retail Establishment

In one or more embodiments, after first transacting with a vendingmachine, a customer may select and/or redeem one or more products,pursuant to a package offer, at a retail establishment.

For example, in one or more embodiments, after first accepting a packageoffer, a customer may receive a code or token, for example as describedwith reference to the multi-machine embodiments described herein. Thecustomer may in turn present the code or token to a retailer, who maypermit the customer to select one or more products from one or moreinventory groups pursuant to a package offer. The retail establishmentmay employ a point-of-sale terminal or other device to validate thetoken or code, such as by querying a local or remote database todetermine if the code was validly issued.

In one or more embodiments, after selecting and/or receiving a firstproduct from a vending machine pursuant to a package offer, a customermay receive a code or token, for example as described with reference tothe multi-machine embodiments described herein. After receiving the codeor token, the customer may present the code or token to a retailestablishment in order to select and/or receive a second item pursuantto the package offer. The retail establishment may employ apoint-of-sale terminal or other device to validate the token or code,such as by querying a local or remote database to determine if the codewas validly issued.

Further still, in one or more embodiments, after accepting a packageoffer and selecting two or more products from two or more inventorygroups, a customer may be issued a code by a vending machine. Thecustomer may, in turn, present the code to a retailer to redeem the twoor more selected products. The retail establishment may employ apoint-of-sale terminal or other device to validate the token or code,such as by querying a local or remote database to determine if the codewas validly issued.

VI. Rules of Interpretation

Numerous embodiments are described in this patent application, and arepresented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments arenot, and are not intended to be, limiting in any sense. The presentlydisclosed invention(s) are widely applicable to numerous embodiments, asis readily apparent from the disclosure. One of ordinary skill in theart will recognize that the disclosed invention(s) may be practiced withvarious modifications and alterations, such as structural, logical,software, and electrical modifications. Although particular features ofthe disclosed invention(s) may be described with reference to one ormore particular embodiments and/or drawings, it should be understoodthat such features are not limited to usage in the one or moreparticular embodiments or drawings with reference to which they aredescribed, unless expressly specified otherwise.

The present disclosure is neither a literal description of allembodiments nor a listing of features of the invention that must bepresent in all embodiments.

Neither the Title (set forth at the beginning of the first page of thispatent application) nor the Abstract (set forth at the end of thispatent application) is to be taken as limiting in any way as the scopeof the disclosed invention(s).

The term “product” means any machine, manufacture and/or composition ofmatter as contemplated by 35 U.S.C. §101, unless expressly specifiedotherwise.

The terms “an embodiment”, “embodiment”, “embodiments”, “theembodiment”, “the embodiments”, “one or more embodiments”, “someembodiments”, “one embodiment”and the like mean “one or more (but notall) disclosed embodiments”, unless expressly specified otherwise.

A reference to “another embodiment” in describing an embodiment does notimply that the referenced embodiment is mutually exclusive with anotherembodiment (e.g., an embodiment described before the referencedembodiment), unless expressly specified otherwise.

The terms “including”, “comprising”and variations thereof mean“including but not limited to”, unless expressly specified otherwise.

The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expresslyspecified otherwise.

The term “plurality” means “two or more”, unless expressly specifiedotherwise.

The term “herein” means “in the present application, including anythingwhich may be incorporated by reference”, unless expressly specifiedotherwise.

The phrase “at least one of”, when such phrase modifies a plurality ofthings (such as an enumerated list of things) means any combination ofone or more of those things, unless expressly specified otherwise. Forexample, the phrase at least one of a widget, a car and a wheel meanseither (i) a widget, (ii) a car, (iii) a wheel, (iv) a widget and a car,(v) a widget and a wheel, (vi) a car and a wheel, or (vii) a widget, acar and a wheel.

The phrase “based on” does not mean “based only on”, unless expresslyspecified otherwise. In other words, the phrase “based on” describesboth “based only on” and “based at least on”.

The term “whereby” is used herein only to precede a clause or other setof words that express only the intended result, objective or consequenceof something that is previously and explicitly recited. Thus, when theterm “whereby” is used in a claim, the clause or other words that theterm “whereby” modifies do not establish specific further limitations ofthe claim or otherwise restricts the meaning or scope of the claim.

Where a limitation of a first claim would cover one of a feature as wellas more than one of a feature (e.g., a limitation such as “at least onewidget” covers one widget as well as more than one widget), and where ina second claim that depends on the first claim, the second claim uses adefinite article “the” to refer to the limitation (e.g., “the widget”),this does not imply that the first claim covers only one of the feature,and this does not imply that the second claim covers only one of thefeature (e.g., “the widget” can cover both one widget and more than onewidget).

Each process (whether called a method, algorithm or otherwise)inherently includes one or more steps, and therefore all references to a“step” or “steps” of a process have an inherent antecedent basis in themere recitation of the term ‘process’ or a like term. Accordingly, anyreference in a claim to a ‘step’ or ‘steps’ of a process has sufficientantecedent basis.

When an ordinal number (such as “first”, “second”, “third” and so on) isused as an adjective before a term, that ordinal number is used (unlessexpressly specified otherwise) merely to indicate a particular feature,such as to distinguish that particular feature from another feature thatis described by the same term or by a similar term. For example, a“first widget” may be so named merely to distinguish it from, e.g., a“second widget”. Thus, the mere usage of the ordinal numbers “first” and“second” before the term “widget” does not indicate any otherrelationship between the two widgets, and likewise does not indicate anyother characteristics of either or both widgets. For example, the mereusage of the ordinal numbers “first” and “second” before the term“widget” (1) does not indicate that either widget comes before or afterany other in order or location; (2) does not indicate that either widgetoccurs or acts before or after any other in time; and (3) does notindicate that either widget ranks above or below any other, as inimportance or quality. In addition, the mere usage of ordinal numbersdoes not define a numerical limit to the features identified with theordinal numbers. For example, the mere usage of the ordinal numbers“first” and “second” before the term “widget” does not indicate thatthere must be no more than two widgets.

When a single device or article is described herein, more than onedevice or article (whether or not they cooperate) may alternatively beused in place of the single device or article that is described.Accordingly, the functionality that is described as being possessed by adevice may alternatively be possessed by more than one device or article(whether or not they cooperate).

Similarly, where more than one device or article is described herein(whether or not they cooperate), a single device or article mayalternatively be used in place of the more than one device or articlethat is described. For example, a plurality of computer-based devicesmay be substituted with a single computer-based device. Accordingly, thevarious functionality that is described as being possessed by more thanone device or article may alternatively be possessed by a single deviceor article.

The functionality and/or the features of a single device that isdescribed may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devicesthat are described but are not explicitly described as having suchfunctionality and/or features. Thus, other embodiments need not includethe described device itself, but rather can include the one or moreother devices which would, in those other embodiments, have suchfunctionality/features.

Devices that are in communication with each other need not be incontinuous communication with each other, unless expressly specifiedotherwise. On the contrary, such devices need only transmit to eachother as necessary or desirable, and may actually refrain fromexchanging data most of the time. For example, a machine incommunication with another machine via the Internet may not transmitdata to the other machine for weeks at a time. In addition, devices thatare in communication with each other may communicate directly orindirectly through one or more intermediaries.

A description of an embodiment with several components or features doesnot imply that all or even any of such components and/or features arerequired. On the contrary, a variety of optional components aredescribed to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of thepresent invention(s). Unless otherwise specified explicitly, nocomponent and/or feature is essential or required.

Further, although process steps, algorithms or the like may be describedin a sequential order, such processes may be configured to work indifferent orders. In other words, any sequence or order of steps thatmay be explicitly described does not necessarily indicate a requirementthat the steps be performed in that order. The steps of processesdescribed herein may be performed in any order practical. Further, somesteps may be performed simultaneously despite being described or impliedas occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is describedafter the other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by itsdepiction in a drawing does not imply that the illustrated process isexclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, does not implythat the illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to theinvention, and does not imply that the illustrated process is preferred.

Although a process may be described as including a plurality of steps,that does not indicate that all or even any of the steps are essentialor required. Various other embodiments within the scope of the describedinvention(s) include other processes that omit some or all of thedescribed steps. Unless otherwise specified explicitly, no step isessential or required.

Although a product may be described as including a plurality ofcomponents, aspects, qualities, characteristics and/or features, thatdoes not indicate that all of the plurality are essential or required.Various other embodiments within the scope of the described invention(s)include other products that omit some or all of the described plurality.

An enumerated list of items (which may or may not be numbered) does notimply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unlessexpressly specified otherwise. Likewise, an enumerated list of items(which may or may not be numbered) does not imply that any or all of theitems are comprehensive of any category, unless expressly specifiedotherwise. For example, the enumerated list “a computer, a laptop, aPDA” does not imply that any or all of the three items of that list aremutually exclusive and does not imply that any or all of the three itemsof that list are comprehensive of any category.

Headings of sections provided in this patent application and the titleof this patent application are for convenience only, and are not to betaken as limiting the disclosure in any way.

“Determining” something can be performed in a variety of manners andtherefore the term “determining” (and like terms) includes calculating,computing, deriving, looking up (e.g., in a table, database or datastructure), ascertaining and the like.

It will be readily apparent that the various methods and algorithmsdescribed herein may be implemented by, e.g., appropriately programmedgeneral purpose computers and computing devices. Typically a processor(e.g., one or more microprocessors) will receive instructions from amemory or like device, and execute those instructions, therebyperforming one or more processes defined by those instructions. Further,programs that implement such methods and algorithms may be stored andtransmitted using a variety of media (e.g., computer readable media) ina number of manners. In some embodiments, hard-wired circuitry or customhardware may be used in place of, or in combination with, softwareinstructions for implementation of the processes of various embodiments.Thus, embodiments are not limited to any specific combination ofhardware and software

A “processor” means any one or more microprocessors, CPU devices,computing devices, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, or likedevices.

The term “computer-readable medium” refers to any medium thatparticipates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that may be read bya computer, a processor or a like device. Such a medium may take manyforms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media,and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, opticalor magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media includeDRAM, which typically constitutes the main memory. Transmission mediainclude coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including thewires that comprise a system bus coupled to the processor. Transmissionmedia may include or convey acoustic waves, light waves andelectromagnetic emissions, such as those generated during RF and IR datacommunications. Common forms of computer-readable media include, forexample, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, anyother magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punchcards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, aRAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip orcartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other mediumfrom which a computer can read.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carryingsequences of instructions to a processor. For example, sequences ofinstruction (i) may be delivered from RAM to a processor, (ii) may becarried over a wireless transmission medium, and/or (iii) may beformatted according to numerous formats, standards or protocols, such asBluetooth™, TDMA, CDMA, 3G.

Where databases are described, it will be understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art that (i) alternative database structures to thosedescribed may be readily employed, and (ii) other memory structuresbesides databases may be readily employed. Any illustrations ordescriptions of any sample databases presented herein are illustrativearrangements for stored representations of information. Any number ofother arrangements may be employed besides those suggested by, e.g.,tables illustrated in drawings or elsewhere. Similarly, any illustratedentries of the databases represent exemplary information only; one ofordinary skill in the art will understand that the number and content ofthe entries can be different from those described herein. Further,despite any depiction of the databases as tables, other formats(including relational databases, object-based models and/or distributeddatabases) could be used to store and manipulate the data typesdescribed herein. Likewise, object methods or behaviors of a databasecan be used to implement various processes, such as the describedherein. In addition, the databases may, in a known manner, be storedlocally or remotely from a device that accesses data in such a database.

Some embodiments can be configured to work in a network environmentincluding a computer that is in communication, via a communicationsnetwork, with one or more devices. The computer may communicate with thedevices directly or indirectly, via a wired or wireless medium such asthe Internet, LAN, WAN or Ethernet, Token Ring, or via any appropriatecommunications means or combination of communications means. Each of thedevices may comprise computers, such as those based on the Intel®Pentium® or Centrino™ processor, that are adapted to communicate withthe computer. Any number and type of machines may be in communicationwith the computer.

The present disclosure provides, to one of ordinary skill in the art, anenabling description of several embodiments and/or inventions. Some ofthese embodiments and/or inventions may not be claimed in the presentapplication, but may nevertheless be claimed in one or more continuingapplications that claim the benefit of priority of the presentapplication. Applicants intend to file additional applications to pursuepatents for subject matter that has been disclosed and enabled but notclaimed in the present disclosure.

1. A method, comprising: providing, by at least one vending machine, apackage offer comprising an offer to buy at least a first componentproduct from a first inventory group and a second component product froma second inventory group for a single price, wherein the first andsecond component products are indicated as being associated with thefirst and second inventory groups via first and second placements of thefirst and second component products, respectively; receiving, at the atleast one vending machine, an indication of a selection by a customer ofthe first component product from the first inventory group; andprocessing, based at least in part on the receiving of the indication ofthe customer's selection of the first component product from the firstinventory group, a sale, for a single price, of (i) a unit of the firstcomponent product from the first inventory group and (ii) a unit of thesecond component product from the second inventory group.
 2. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: defining the first and second inventorygroups.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the defining comprises:selecting the first and second component products from a population ofall products available for sale via the at least one vending machine. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein the selecting comprises: determining avalue rating for each of the products of the population of productsavailable for sale at the at least one vending machine; ranking thepopulation of products available for sale at the at least one vendingmachine based on the respective value ratings; and selecting the firstand second component products from the population of all of the productsavailable for sale via the at least one vending machine based on therespective rankings of the first and second component products.
 5. Themethod of claim 3, wherein the selecting is conducted by an operator ofthe at least one vending machine and wherein the first and secondplacements are selected by the operator.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the at least one vending machine comprises a first vendingmachine and a second vending machine, and wherein the first placementcomprises a placement in the first vending machine and the secondplacement comprises a placement in the second vending machine.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the sale is conducted by debiting an amountfrom a pre-paid unit account associated with the customer.
 8. The methodof claim 7, wherein the pre-paid unit account associated with thecustomer comprises a pre-paid unit subscription account.
 9. The methodof claim 1, wherein the providing is conducted in response to thereceiving of the indication of the selection by the customer of thefirst component product from the first inventory group.
 10. The methodof claim 9, further comprising: receiving, at the at least one vendingmachine, an indication of a selection by the customer of the secondcomponent product from the second inventory group.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the processing is further based at least in part onthe receiving of the indication of the selection by the customer of thesecond component product from the second inventory group.
 12. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the at least one vendingmachine, an indication of a selection by the customer of a product thatis not associated with the second inventory group.
 13. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising: notifying the customer that the customermust pick a product from the second inventory group.
 14. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising: providing an offer to the customer thatallows the customer to purchase the product instead of the secondcomponent product, for a price in addition to the single price.
 15. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first inventory group comprises a firstcategory of products and the second inventory group comprises a secondcategory of products that is different than the first category ofproducts.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and secondcategories of products comprise one or more of (i) a snack category,(ii) a drink category, (iii) a candy bar category, (iv) a diet drinkcategory, and (v) a brand category.
 17. The method of claim 1, whereinthe providing is conducted in response to a determination of a customeridentifier associated with the customer.
 18. The method of claim 1,further comprising: receiving an indication of an acceptance, by thecustomer, of the package offer.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein theprocessing is further based at least in part on the receiving of theindication of the acceptance of the package offer by the customer. 20.The method of claim 18, wherein the receiving of the indication of theacceptance of the package offer by the customer comprises determiningthat the customer has interfaced with an input device associated withthe package offer.
 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstplacement comprises a placement in one or more first particular columnsof the at least one vending machine, and wherein the second placementcomprises a placement in one or more second particular columns of the atleast one vending machine.
 22. A method, comprising: providing, by atleast one vending machine, a package offer comprising an offer to buy atleast a first component product from a first inventory group and asecond component product from a second inventory group for a singleprice, wherein the first and second component products are indicated asbeing associated with the first and second inventory groups via firstand second physical indicia associated with the first and secondcomponent products, respectively; receiving, at the at least one vendingmachine, an indication of a selection by a customer of the firstcomponent product from the first inventory group; and processing, basedat least in part on the receiving of the indication of the customer'sselection of the first component product from the first inventory group,a sale, for a single price, of (i) a unit of the first component productfrom the first inventory group and (ii) a unit of the second componentproduct from the second inventory group.
 23. The method of claim 22,further comprising: defining the first and second inventory groups. 24.The method of claim 23, wherein the defining comprises: selecting thefirst and second component products from a population of all productsavailable for sale via the at least one vending machine.
 25. The methodof claim 24, wherein the selecting comprises: determining a value ratingfor each of the products of the population of products available forsale at the at least one vending machine; ranking the population ofproducts available for sale at the at least one vending machine based onthe respective value ratings; and selecting the first and secondcomponent products from the population of all of the products availablefor sale via the at least one vending machine based on the respectiverankings of the first and second component products.
 26. The method ofclaim 24, wherein the selecting is conducted by an operator of the atleast one vending machine and wherein the first and second physicalindicia are selected by the operator.
 27. The method of claim 22,wherein the first and second physical indicia comprise one or more of(i) a sticker, (ii) a sign, (iii) a price tag, (iv) an RFID tag, and (v)an LED device.
 28. The method of claim 22, wherein the sale is conductedby debiting an amount from a pre-paid unit account associated with thecustomer.
 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the pre-paid unit accountassociated with the customer comprises a pre-paid unit subscriptionaccount.
 30. The method of claim 22, wherein the providing is conductedin response to the receiving of the indication of the selection by thecustomer of the first component product from the first inventory group.31. The method of claim 30, further comprising: receiving, at the atleast one vending machine, an indication of a selection by the customerof the second component product from the second inventory group.
 32. Themethod of claim 31, wherein the processing is further based at least inpart on the receiving of the indication of the selection by the customerof the second component product from the second inventory group.
 33. Themethod of claim 22, further comprising: receiving, at the at least onevending machine, an indication of a selection by the customer of aproduct that is not associated with the second inventory group.
 34. Themethod of claim 33, further comprising: notifying the customer that thecustomer must pick a product from the second inventory group.
 35. Themethod of claim 33, further comprising: providing an offer to thecustomer that allows the customer to purchase the product instead of thesecond component product, for a price in addition to the single price.36. The method of claim 22, wherein the first inventory group comprisesa first category of products and the second inventory group comprises asecond category of products that is different than the first category ofproducts.
 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the first and secondcategories of products comprise one or more of (i) a snack category,(ii) a drink category, (iii) a candy bar category, (iv) a diet drinkcategory, and (v) a brand category.
 38. The method of claim 22, whereinthe providing is conducted in response to a determination of a customeridentifier associated with the customer.
 39. The method of claim 22,further comprising: receiving an indication of an acceptance, by thecustomer, of the package offer.
 40. The method of claim 39, wherein theprocessing is further based at least in part on the receiving of theindication of the acceptance of the package offer by the customer. 41.The method of claim 39, wherein the receiving of the indication of theacceptance of the package offer by the customer comprises determiningthat the customer has interfaced with an input device associated withthe package offer.
 42. The method of claim 22, wherein the firstplacement comprises a placement in one or more first particular columnsof the at least one vending machine, and wherein the second placementcomprises a placement in one or more second particular columns of the atleast one vending machine.
 43. A method, comprising: providing, by atleast one vending machine, a package offer comprising an offer to buy anumber of products associated with a non-price numerical limit, for asingle price; receiving, at the at least one vending machine, anindication of a selection by a customer of a first component productassociated with a first non-price numerical value; determining, by theat least one vending machine, by subtracting the first non-pricenumerical value from the non-price numerical limit, a remainingnon-price numerical value; determining, by the at least one vendingmachine, at least one second component product that is associated with asecond non-price numerical value that is less than or equal to theremaining non-price numerical value; and providing, to the customer andby the at least one vending machine, an opportunity to purchase the atleast one second component product along with the first componentproduct, for the single price.
 44. The method of claim 43, furthercomprising: receiving, at the at least one vending machine, anindication of a selection by the customer of the second componentproduct; determining, by the at least one vending machine, bysubtracting the second non-price numerical value from the remainingnon-price numerical value, that the non-price numerical limit has beenreached; and processing, based at least in part on the determining thatthe non-price numerical limit has been reached, a sale, for the singleprice, of (i) a unit of the first component product and (ii) a unit ofthe second component product.
 45. The method of claim 43, furthercomprising: receiving, at the at least one vending machine, anindication of a selection by the customer of the second componentproduct; determining, by the at least one vending machine, bysubtracting the second non-price numerical value from the remainingnon-price numerical value, a new remaining non-price numerical value;determining, by the at least one vending machine, at least one thirdcomponent product that is associated with a third non-price numericalvalue that is less than or equal to the new remaining non-pricenumerical value; and providing, to the customer and by the at least onevending machine, an opportunity to purchase the at least one thirdcomponent product along with the first and second component products,for the single price.
 46. The method of claim 43, wherein the non-pricenumerical limit comprises a calorie limit and the non-price numericalvalues comprise calorie values.
 47. The method of claim 43, wherein thenon-price numerical limit comprises a fat limit and the non-pricenumerical values comprise fat values.
 48. The method of claim 43,wherein the non-price numerical limit comprises a carbohydrate limit andthe non-price numerical values comprise carbohydrate values.
 49. Themethod of claim 43, wherein the non-price numerical limit comprises aunit limit and the non-price numerical values comprise unit values.